PREVALENCE OF CYBERBULLYING AND MENTAL HEALTH OUTCOMES AMONG UNDERGRADUATES IN EDO STATE, NIGERIA: A MIXED-METHODS ANALYSIS

Abstract

Cyberbullying is a deliberate and repetitive act carried out using electronic media or information communication technology to bully an individual or group. The study investigated the prevalence of cyberbullying and mental health outcomes among undergraduates in Edo State, Nigeria. A mixed-methods study design was used. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select 385 undergraduates for the study who completed an investigator-developed, self-structured questionnaire evaluating cyberbullying prevalence. Concurrently, a purposive subset (38) of these participants engaged in qualitative semi-structured interview guide to explore their lived experiences regarding mental health outcomes and coping mechanism. Quantitative data were analysed using SPSS 27.0, while qualitative data were analysed using Taguette software. The prevalence rate of cyberbullying victimisation was 20.8%, and males reported a higher prevalence (37.1%) than females (15.9%). Four demographic factors (Gender: (β = -0.473, p < .001), Age: (β = -0.133, p = .033), Faculty (β = -0.538, p = .002), and Department (β = 0.312, p < .001)) contributed to cyberbullying. Mental impact included self-esteem erosion, emotional distress, and isolation, while the coping mechanisms employed by the students were social support, behavioural regulation, distraction and confidence building. Cyberbullying is a prevalent challenge among the sampled undergraduates, with substantial implications for their perceived psychological well-being. The studied universities should integrate cyberbullying into university policy, and nurses should develop targeted outreach programs and support groups for the vulnerable student populations. Nursing students at these institutions should be taught how to conduct sensitive, non-judgmental interviews regarding a patient’s online experiences. The curricula should incorporate standardised tools for assessing cyber victimisation as part of a comprehensive mental health history.