Stress-Related q-EEG Abnormalities in Indonesian School Children: Considering the Role of Bullying

Abstract

Background

Psychosocial stress—particularly bullying—has been recognized as a critical determinant of mental and neurophysiological health in children. Chronic stress exposure may disrupt cortical regulatory mechanisms detectable through quantitative electroencephalography (q-EEG).

Objective

This study examined the correlation between perceived psychological stress, involvement in bullying, and q-EEG spectral anomalies among Indonesian school-aged children, seeking to determine if bullying-related stress generates unique neurophysiological patterns or indicates a general dysregulation of stress responses.

Methods

A two-phase design was implemented. Phase I included 2781 8-13-year-olds who completed the PSS-10 and a validated bullying questionnaire. Using a Mitsar-EEG 201 equipment, Phase II selected 24 students with increased stress levels (PSS ≥ 27) for q-EEG examination. Electroencephalogram signals from 19 scalp sites were converted into z-scores using age-adjusted NeuroGuide database standards. Stress level and brain activity were correlated using Spearman's rho.

Results

The majority of subjects (23 out of 25; 95.8%) had EEG activity above ±2 standard deviations, especially in the temporal and prefrontal areas. There was a negative correlation between stress and temporal alpha power (r = -0.43, p = 0.028) and a positive correlation between stress with enhanced prefrontal high-beta power (r = 0.47, p = 0.021). Neurophysiological alterations among bullied children closely paralleled those under non-bullying stressors such as academic overload or family conflict.

Conclusion

Elevated stress intensity, regardless of its psychosocial origin, was associated with convergent cortical dysregulation patterns. These results suggest that q-EEG may be a viable non-invasive method for early stress-related neurophysiological dysfunction diagnosis and that pediatric populations require integrated emotional regulation therapies.