LONDON — A research from King's College London published in the journal Nature, studied the effects of chronic bullying among young adults between the ages of 14 and 19 years old.

The study warns that bullying during adolescence can alter the brain's shape and in turn cause social and mental health issues.

Researchers gave participants brain scans and questionnaires to understand the extent of the bullying they have suffered.

Results revealed that the brains of the most bullied participants had certain regions of their brains that had shrunk

The areas of the brain that had shrunk are called the putamen and caudate. They assist in behavioral processes such as emotional processing and attention span.

Nineteen-year-olds from the study who showed shrinking of these areas also experienced higher levels of anxiety.

This study is the first to connect bullying during adolescence to brain development.