Proceedings of International Conference on Religion, Social and Humanities
Vol 4 (2025): Religion and Social Transformation in the Digital Era

The Bipolar Brain: How Bullying Affects Mental Health

Yuliana Yuliana (Universitas Udayana, Denpasar)



Article Info

Publish Date
31 Jan 2026

Abstract

Bipolar disorder is a complex mental health condition that can affect brain structure and function. Bullying can be a significant stressor that can exacerbate bipolar symptoms and affect mental health. This paper aims to explore the impact of bullying on brain structure and function in individuals with bipolar disorder. This is a narrative literature review. Articles were retrieved from PubMed, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect. The publication date is within 5 years (2020-2025). It is shown that the volume of the hippocampus may be reduced due to bullying. This condition affects learning, memory, and mental regulation. Hyperactivation of the amygdala might be found after bullying, resulting in stress and anxiety. The altered function of the anterior cingulate cortex and the prefrontal cortex may be involved after bullying. Emotional processing and behaviour could occur. Therefore, patients with bipolar disorder are prone to deterioration of mental health after bullying due to changes in some brain structures and functions. It is essential to implement early and effective interventions to prevent bullying and reduce its negative impact on mental health. In conclusion, bullying might affect mental health in bipolar patients by hyperactivation of the amygdala, the altered function of the cingulate cortex and the prefrontal cortex, also reduce the volume of the hippocampus. Keywords: bipolar, brain, bullying, mental health

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Journal Info

Abbrev

icresh

Publisher

Subject

Description

Proceedings of International Conference on Religion, Social and Humanities with ISSN 3089-3356 is a collection of scholarly papers presented at the International Conference on Religion, Social and Humanities (ICReSH), an academic forum organized by the Faculty of Ushuluddin, Adab, and Dakwah, ...