Do paternal arrest and imprisonment lead to child behaviour problems and substance use? A longitudinal analysis

Shorter night-time sleep duration and later sleep timing from infancy to adolescence

BACKGROUND

Here, we (a) examined the trajectories of night-time sleep duration, bedtime and midpoint of night-time sleep (MPS) from infancy to adolescence, and (b) explored perinatal risk factors for persistent poor sleep health.

METHODS

This study used data from 12,962 participants in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). Parent or self-reported night-time sleep duration, bedtime and wake-up time were collected from questionnaires at 6, 18 and 30 months, and at 3.5, 4-5, 5-6, 6-7, 9, 11 and 15-16 years. Child's sex, birth weight, gestational age, health and temperament, together with mother's family adversity index (FAI), age at birth, prenatal socioeconomic status and postnatal anxiety and depression, were included as risk factors for persistent poor sleep health. Latent class growth analyses were applied first to detect trajectories of night-time sleep duration, bedtime and MPS, and we then applied logistic regressions for the longitudinal associations between risk factors and persistent poor sleep health domains.

RESULTS

We obtained four trajectories for each of the three sleep domains. In particular, we identified a trajectory characterized by persistent shorter sleep, a trajectory of persistent later bedtime and a trajectory of persistent later MPS. Two risk factors were associated with the three poor sleep health domains: higher FAI with increased risk of persistent shorter sleep (OR = 1.20, 95% CI = 1.11-1.30, p < .001), persistent later bedtime (OR = 1.28, 95% CI = 1.19-1.39, p < .001) and persistent later MPS (OR = 1.30, 95% CI = 1.22-1.38, p < .001); and higher maternal socioeconomic status with reduced risk of persistent shorter sleep (OR = 0.99, 95% CI = 0.98-1.00, p = .048), persistent later bedtime (OR = 0.98, 95% CI = 0.97-0.99, p < .001) and persistent later MPS (OR = 0.99, 95% CI = 0.98-0.99, p < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

We detected trajectories of persistent poor sleep health (i.e. shorter sleep duration, later bedtime and later MPS) from infancy to adolescence, and specific perinatal risk factors linked to persistent poor sleep health domains.

Parental Incarceration, Development, and Well-Being: A Developmental Systematic Review

Despite an increasing number of studies examining the impact of parental incarceration on children's well-being, there are few comprehensive reviews that collect this information, and even fewer from a developmental perspective. This study aims to clarify the effects of parental incarceration on children's well-being and development, as well as the moderating and mediating factors from a developmental perspective. A systematic review was conducted according to PRISMA guidelines, selecting 61 studies of children from early childhood to adolescence. The results show differences in the current evidence regarding the effects of parental incarceration on children depending on the developmental stage, with the most evidence in the 7-11-year-old stage. Being male appears as a risk moderator factor while the mental health of the caregiver and their relationship with the child appears as a mediating variable, especially from 7 to 18 years old. These results reveal the impact of parental incarceration based on children's age, providing a basis for developing protective and intervention measures.

Behavioral and Emotional Problems of Prisoners' Children Based on the Children's Self-Report

The aim of the analyses was to investigate the relations between parental incarceration and the levels of behavioral and emotional problems in children of fathers serving prison sentences, based on the children's self-report. We tested a criterion group and two control groups. The criterion group consisted of children whose fathers were in prison. The children in control group I were from complete families; the level of problem behaviors in these families and the level of psychological resiliency in these children were similar to the respective levels in the criterion group. Finally, control group II consisted of children whose fathers were not in prison; problem behaviors in their families were basically absent or slight, and their level of resiliency was significantly higher compared to prisoners' children and control group I. Prisoners' children exhibited a higher level of emotional and behavioral problems than children from families in which the father was not serving a prison sentence and in which the level of dysfunctions was low. As regards prisoners' children compared to their peers with a similar level of resiliency and a similar level of problem behavior in the family, statistically significant differences were found only in a few categories of emotional and behavioral problems. Parental incarceration proved to be an additional factor increasing the level of behavioral and emotional problems in children and adolescents-particularly girls-whose fathers were imprisoned.

Against the Odds: A Structural Equation Analysis of Family Resilience Processes during Paternal Incarceration

On any given day, approximately 2.1 million children in Europe have an incarcerated parent. Although research indicates that material hardship is associated with parental incarceration, and particularly paternal incarceration, little is known about family processes that may mitigate the harmful effects of such hardship on children with an incarcerated parent. Guided by a resilience framework, this study examined how family processes mediate the effects of material hardship on youth academic adjustment within the context of paternal incarceration. Using Danish data that assessed key family constructs, structural equation modeling was used to perform a mediational within-group analysis of primary caregivers (n = 727) to children with an incarcerated father. Results indicate that although social support and parenting skills did not yield mediating effects, caregiver mental health strongly mediated the effects of material hardship on youth academic adjustment during paternal incarceration. Findings suggest that economic conditions, as well as caregiver mental health symptoms, are important areas of intervention that may promote family-level resilience for youth of an imprisoned father. We conclude with research and practice recommendations to advance our understanding of resilience among families with an incarcerated parent.

Coparenting and Mental Health in Families with Jailed Parents

The number of families affected by parental incarceration in the United States has increased dramatically in the past three decades, with primarily negative implications for adult mental health and child and family well-being. Despite research documenting increased strain on coparenting relationships, less is known regarding the relation between adult mental health and coparenting quality. This study investigated coparenting in families with young children currently experiencing parental incarceration. In a diverse sample of 86 jailed parent-caregiver dyads (n = 172), this analysis of a short-term longitudinal study examined the links among jailed parents' and children's at-home caregivers' externalizing mental health symptoms and perceived coparenting alliance quality using the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model. Analyses using structural equation modeling revealed a medium sized negative partner effect for externalizing behaviors on coparenting alliance for jailed parents, wherein caregivers increased externalizing symptoms related to jailed parents' lower reported coparenting quality. Caregiver-partner effects and both actor effects resulted in small effects. These findings highlight the roles of mental health and coparenting relationship quality when a parent is incarcerated and contribute to the existing literature on incarcerated coparenting, with implications for theory and practice.

Longitudinal associations between parental incarceration and children's emotional and behavioural development: Results from a population cohort study

BACKGROUND

Parental incarceration (PI) is associated with adverse developmental outcomes for children affected. However, research in this area often reports conflicting results with few studies following children across time in non-U.S.

POPULATIONS

Additionally, more research is called for using multi-informant perspectives rather than relying on adult reports of child outcomes alone.

METHODS

This study used data from the first two waves of a nationally representative cohort study of 8,568 children aged 9 years and followed up at age 13 living in the Republic of Ireland (2007-2012). Propensity score matching was used to match children who had experienced PI by the age of nine to children who had not experienced PI by sociodemographics and experience of other stressful events. Mental health, as measured by self-concept (Piers-Harris II) and externalizing and internalizing difficulties (strength and difficulties questionnaire), was compared across both groups.

RESULTS

Fifty of the 8,568 children (weighted percentage 0.9%) reported experiencing PI by the age of nine. These children came from more socially disadvantaged homes and were more likely to have experienced other potentially stressful life events. In comparison to a matched sample of children not affected by PI, children affected by PI reported higher levels of anxiety at age nine. Longitudinal analysis indicated these children affected by PI also reported lower levels of happiness at age 13 with higher levels of emotional difficulties reported by their primary caregiver.

CONCLUSIONS

Children of incarcerated parents face a greater array of life challenges. PI had an association with child-reported levels of anxiety at age nine. PI also had a medium-term association on caregiver assessments of emotional difficulties of children affected as well child-reported levels of happiness over time.

Psychopathological outcomes of adolescent borderline personality disorder symptoms

OBJECTIVE

Despite considerable morbidity and functional losses associated with adolescent borderline personality disorder, little is known about psychopathological outcomes. This study examined associations between adolescent borderline personality disorder symptoms and subsequent depressive, psychotic and hypomanic symptoms.

METHODS

We used data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. Participants were adolescents living in the community who had data for all longitudinal outcomes (N = 1758). We used logistic regression and path analysis to investigate associations between borderline personality disorder (five or more probable/definite symptoms) reported at age 11-12 years and depressive and psychotic symptoms reported at age 12 and 18, and lifetime hypomanic symptoms reported at age 22-23 years.

RESULTS

Adolescent borderline personality disorder symptoms were associated with psychotic symptoms (odds ratio: 2.36, confidence interval: [1.82, 3.06]), diagnosis of depression at age 18 years (odds ratio: 1.30, confidence interval: [1.03, 1.64]) and hypomanic symptoms (odds ratio: 2.89, confidence interval: [2.40, 3.48]) at 22-23 years. Path analysis controlling for associations between all outcomes indicated that borderline personality disorder symptoms were independently associated with depressive symptoms (β = 0.97, p < 0.001) at 12 years and hypomanic (β = 0.58, p < 0.01) symptoms at 22-23 years. Borderline personality disorder symptoms were also associated with psychotic symptoms at age 12 years (β = 0.58, p < 0.01), which were linked (β = 0.34, p < 0.01) to psychotic symptoms at age 18 years.

CONCLUSION

Adolescents with borderline personality disorder symptoms are at future risk of psychotic and hypomanic symptoms, and a diagnosis of depression. Future risk is independent of associations between psychopathological outcomes, indicating that adolescent borderline personality disorder symptoms have multifinal outcomes. Increasing awareness of borderline personality disorder in early adolescence could facilitate timely secondary prevention of these symptoms subsequently, helping to prevent future psychopathology.

Associations between infant and toddler regulatory problems, childhood co-developing internalising and externalising trajectories, and adolescent depression, psychotic and borderline personality disorder symptoms

BACKGROUND

Early regulatory problems (RPs) are associated with childhood internalising and externalising symptoms. Internalising and externalising symptoms, in turn, are associated with adolescent psychopathology (e.g. personality disorders, depression). We examined whether RPs are directly associated with adolescent psychopathology, or whether associations are indirect via childhood internalising and externalising symptoms.

METHODS

We used data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. Mothers reported on their child's RPs at 6, 15-18 and 24-30 months, and internalising and externalising symptoms at 4, 7, 8 and 9.5 years. Adolescent psychotic, depression and BPD symptoms were assessed at 11-12 years. Children were grouped by their patterns of co-developing internalising and externalising symptoms using parallel process latent class growth analysis (PP-LCGA). Path analysis was used to examine direct and indirect associations from RPs to the three adolescent outcomes.

RESULTS

There were four groups of children with distinct patterns of co-developing internalising and externalising (INT/EXT) symptoms. Most children (53%) demonstrated low-moderate and stable levels of INT/EXT symptoms. A small proportion (7.7%) evidenced moderate and increasing INT and high stable EXT symptoms: this pattern was strongly predictive of adolescent psychopathology (e.g. depression at 11 years: unadjusted odds ratio = 5.62; 95% confidence intervals = 3.82, 8.27). The other two groups were differentially associated with adolescent outcomes (i.e. moderate-high increasing INT/moderate decreasing EXT predicted mother-reported depression at 12, while low stable INT/moderate-high stable EXT predicted child-reported depression at 11). In path analysis, RPs at each time-point were significantly indirectly associated with symptoms of BPD and child- and mother-reported depression symptoms via the most severe class of INT/EXT symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

Consistent with a cascade model of development, RPs are predictive of higher levels of co-developing INT/EXT symptoms, which in turn increase risk of adolescent psychopathology. Clinicians should be aware of, and treat, early RPs to prevent chronic psychopathology.

Association of Childhood History of Parental Incarceration and Juvenile Justice Involvement With Mental Health in Early Adulthood

IMPORTANCE

Young adults with a childhood history of parental incarceration (PI) or juvenile justice involvement (JJI) are more likely to have worse mental health outcomes than their peers. However, the association between mental health and exposure to both PI and JJI (PI plus JJI) is unclear.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the association of PI plus JJI exposure with mental health outcomes in young adulthood.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

A cross-sectional study of the US National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent to Adult Health was conducted to examine the associations between PI, JJI, and PI plus JJI and mental health outcomes (ie, depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder, suicidal ideation, and mental health counseling). In-home interviews were conducted of 13 083 participants; 704 participants with PI after age 18 years were excluded, and 12 379 participants formed the analysis sample. Participants were in grades 7 to 12 in 1994 to 1995 and were ages 24 to 32 years at follow-up in 2008. Data analysis was completed in 2019.

EXPOSURES

Parental incarceration, JJI, or PI plus JJI before age 18 years.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Mental health outcomes in early adulthood (ages 24-32 years). The analysis included multivariable logistic regression models; accounted for individual, family, and geographic-level factors; and generated adjusted odds ratios.

RESULTS

Among 13 083 participants (6962 female; weighted proportion, 49.6%) with a mean age at wave 1 of 15.4 years (95% CI, 15.2-15.7 years), 10 499 (80.2%) did not have a history of PI or JJI, 1247 (9.1%) had childhood PI, 704 (5.2%) had PI after age 18 years, 492 (4.5%) had JJI only, and 141 (1.2%) had PI plus JJI. Sociodemographic characteristics varied by exposure. Exposure to both PI and JJI was associated with a greater risk of depression (adjusted odds ratio, 2.80; 95% CI, 1.60-4.90), anxiety (adjusted odds ratio, 1.89; 95% CI, 1.08-3.31), and posttraumatic stress disorder (adjusted odds ratio, 2.92; 95% CI, 1.09-7.82) compared with peers with neither exposure. Exposure to both PI and JJI did not have an additive association with mental health beyond PI or JJI alone.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

This study suggests that exposure to the criminal justice system during childhood places individuals at risk for poor mental health outcomes in early adulthood. Clinical, advocacy, and policy efforts that prioritize reducing the impact of the US criminal justice system on children may yield substantive improvements in the mental well-being of those individuals as adults.

Linking parental incarceration and family dynamics associated with intergenerational transmission: A life-course perspective

Children experiencing parental incarceration face numerous additional disadvantages, but researchers have often relied on these other co-occurring factors primarily as controls. In this article, we focus on the intimate links between crime and incarceration, as well as on the broader family context within which parental incarceration often unfolds. Thus, parents' drug use and criminal behavior that precedes and may follow incarceration periods may be ongoing stressors that directly affect child well-being. We also use our analyses to foreground mechanisms associated with social learning theories, including observations and communications that increase the child's risk for criminal involvement and other problem outcomes. These related family experiences often channel the child's own developing network ties (peers, romantic partners) that then serve as proximal influences. We explore these processes by drawing on qualitative and quantitative data from a study of the lives of a sample of respondents followed from adolescence to young adulthood, as well as on records searches of parents' incarceration histories. Through our analyses, we find evidence that 1) some effects attributed to parental incarceration likely connect to unmeasured features of the broader family context, and b) together parental incarceration and the broader climate often constitute a tightly coupled package of family-related risks linked to intergenerational continuities in criminal behavior and other forms of social disadvantage.

The Emotional Experience of Parental Incarceration from the African-American Adolescent Perspective

The presented article reviews a research study on the lived experience of having a parent or parental figure incarcerated during one's adolescence. The research study was conducted to fill a gap in the literature about the adolescent experience of this phenomenon. This qualitative research study used transcendental phenomenology to access the experience of six urban residing African-American participants through 15 in-depth semi-structured interviews. The study used purposive sampling in which participants self-selected to participate in the study. The study yielded findings in five major areas: developmental impact of parental incarceration, emotional impact of parental incarceration, social impact of parental incarceration, spiritual impact of parental incarceration, and levels of adaptation. This article focuses specifically on one of the findings, the emotional experience of parental incarceration. Analogous to Kubler-Ross's research on the stages of grief, this study found that the participants experienced a distinct set of emotions connected to the phenomenon of parental incarceration. By understanding this distinct set of emotions, child welfare providers as well as social service providers will have a better insight into their patients' emotional experiences and how these influence behaviors. More research is needed on the adolescent experience of parental incarceration before this phenomenon is fully understood.

Intergenerational Associations Between Parental Incarceration and Children's Sexual Risk Taking in Young Adulthood

PURPOSE

Research on parental incarceration and the health of offspring is relatively scarce despite studies linking childhood adverse experiences to a range of physical and mental health conditions. This study aimed to estimate the associations between parental incarceration and sexual risk outcomes (early sexual onset, inconsistent condom use, and sexually transmitted infections [STIs]) in young adulthood.

METHODS

We used logistic regression to estimate associations of sexual risk taking behaviors with parental incarceration during childhood in a sample of 3,972 participants in The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health) between 2001 and 2009.

RESULTS

Parental incarceration was associated with early sexual onset (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.4, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.03-2.03) and STIs (AOR =2.0, 95% CI = 1.3-3.2). Maternal incarceration was associated with increased odds of early sexual onset (AOR = 3.6, 95% CI = 1.9-6.7), inconsistent condom use (AOR = 3.4, 95% CI = 1.3-8.9), and STIs (AOR = 5.5, 95% CI = 1.7-17.6). Additionally, paternal incarceration and parental incarceration occurring before age 10 were associated with STIs (AOR = 1.7, 95% CI = 1.1-2.8; AOR = 2.0, 95% CI = 1.1-3.7).

CONCLUSIONS

Parental incarceration, especially maternal imprisonment, is associated with risky sexual behavior and sexually transmitted infections in young adults in the United States. Intervening during or prior to the adolescent developmental period may ameliorate risky sexual behaviors and related health outcomes among children of incarceration parents.

The Dynamics of Intra-Family Relationships During Incarceration and the Implications for Children of Incarcerated Parents

The current study examines effects of changes in intra-family relationships after parental incarceration on internalizing behaviors of the children of incarcerated parents. Using data from a sample of 249 incarcerated parents with minor children in South Korea, the present study found that perceived degradation of family relationships among inmate parents, their non-incarcerated spouses, and children was a significant risk factor of internalizing behaviors of children of incarcerated parents. The current study also found that inmate parents who had more frequent family contact were more likely to perceive improvements of all forms of intra-family relationships during incarceration. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Health Care Use and Health Behaviors Among Young Adults With History of Parental Incarceration

OBJECTIVES

To determine if longitudinal associations exist between parental incarceration (PI) and health care use or health behaviors among a national sample of young adults.

METHODS

We used the National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent to Adult Health to examine associations between history of mother incarceration (MI) and father incarceration (FI), health care use, and 3 dimensions of health behaviors (eg, general health behaviors, substance use, and other risky behaviors) (N = 13 084). Multivariable logistic regression models accounted for individual, family, and geographic factors and generated adjusted odds ratios (aORs).

RESULTS

Over 10% of the sample had a history of PI before the age of 18. History of MI and FI were both associated with forgone health care (aOR = 1.65 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.20-2.27], aOR = 1.22 [95% CI, 1.02-1.47], respectively), prescription drug abuse (MI aOR = 1.61 [95% CI, 1.02-2.55], FI aOR = 1.46 [95% CI, 1.20-1.79]), and 10 or more lifetime sexual partners (MI aOR = 1.55 [95% CI, 1.08-2.22], FI aOR = 1.19 [95% CI, 1.01-1.41]). MI was associated with higher likelihood of emergency department use (aOR = 2.36 [95% CI, 1.51-3.68]), and FI was associated with illicit injection drug use (aOR = 2.54 [95% CI, 1.27-5.12]).

CONCLUSIONS

The effects of incarceration extend beyond incarcerated individuals. PI histories are associated with lower health care use and unhealthy behaviors in young adulthood. By addressing barriers to health care and health-harming behaviors, health care providers and policy makers may reduce health disparities among this population.

Sleep Problems in Childhood and Borderline Personality Disorder Symptoms in Early Adolescence

Sleep disorders, such as insomnia and nightmares, are commonly associated with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) in adulthood. Whether nightmares and sleep-onset and maintenance problems predate BPD symptoms earlier in development is unknown. We addressed this gap in the literature using data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). Participants included 6050 adolescents (51.4 % female) who completed the UK Childhood Interview for DSM-IV BPD at 11 to 12 years of age. Nightmares and sleep onset and maintenance problems were prospectively assessed via mother report when children were 2.5, 3.5, 4.8 and 6.8 years of age. Psychopathological (i.e., emotional temperament; psychiatric diagnoses; and emotional and behavioural problems) and psychosocial (i.e., abuse, maladaptive parenting, and family adversity) confounders were assessed via mother report. In logistic regressions, persistent nightmares (i.e., regular nightmares at 3 or more time-points) were significantly associated with BPD symptoms following adjustment for sleep onset and maintenance problems and all confounders (Adjusted Odds Ratio = 1.62; 95 % Confidence Interval = 1.12 to 2.32). Persistent sleep onset and maintenance problems were not significantly associated with BPD symptoms. In path analysis controlling for all associations between confounders, persistent nightmares independently predicted BPD symptoms (Probit co-efficient [β] = 0.08, p = 0.013). Emotional and behavioural problems significantly mediated the association between nightmares and BPD (β =0.016, p < 0.001), while nightmares significantly mediated associations between emotional temperament (β = 0.001, p = 0.018), abuse (β = 0.015, p = 0.018), maladaptive parenting (β = 0.002, p = 0.021) and subsequent BPD. These findings tentatively support that childhood nightmares may potentially increase the risk of BPD symptoms in early adolescence via a number of aetiological pathways. If replicated, the current findings could have important implications for early intervention, and assist clinicians in the identification of children at risk of developing BPD.

Substance Use among Youth with Currently and Formerly Incarcerated Parents

Parental incarceration impacts millions of children in the U.S. and has important consequences for youths' adjustment. Children of incarcerated parents are at risk for a host of negative psychosocial outcomes, including substance abuse problems. Using data from a statewide survey of youth behavior, the effect of both present and past parental incarceration on youths' report of their substance use behaviors was examined. Both present and past parental incarceration was significantly associated with use of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and prescription drugs, as well as substance abuse and dependence. Implications for practice and research are discussed.

The association between parental imprisonment and the mental health of Palestinian adolescents

BACKGROUND

Since 1967, the Palestinian Occupied Territories are marked by a protracted political conflict. During this conflict, about one fifth of the Palestinian population has been detained; a considerable part of them having children outside prison. Although parental detention negatively impacts children's psychological well-being, little is known about this impact within contexts of protracted armed conflict. Therefore, this study aimed at gaining insight into the impact of parental detention onto adolescents' psychological well-being.

METHOD

Of 314 (11- to 18-year old) Palestinian adolescents who took part, the fathers of 204 adolescents were detained in Israeli prisons. The adolescents completed two self-report questionnaires: the UCLA-PTSD-Reaction Index, investigating symptoms of posttraumatic stress, and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, looking at overall psychological problems. Several hierarchical regression analyses investigated mental health differences between both the groups, and possible associations between sociodemographic characteristics and the witnessing of the father's arrest, and the mental health outcomes.

RESULTS

Parental detention largely impacted adolescents' mental health, with one fifth to two thirds of the adolescents reporting considerable mental health problems. Witnessing the arrest of the father even increased this risk considerably. Above, girls, younger adolescents, participants living in refugee camps, and those living with extended families also reported higher scores on both questionnaires.

CONCLUSIONS

Detention of fathers in the context of protracted armed conflicts has a large impact on adolescents' mental health. Besides an overall plea to end armed conflicts as fast as possible, the study also delineates considerable implications for the support and care for these adolescents and their families.

School mobility during childhood predicts psychotic symptoms in late adolescence

BACKGROUND

Recently, school mobility was identified as a risk factor for psychotic symptoms in early adolescence. The extent to which this risk continues into late adolescence and the trajectories via which this risk manifests remain unexplored.

METHODS

Psychotic symptoms in 4,720 adolescents aged 18 were ascertained by trained psychologists using the Psychosis-Like Symptoms Interview. Mothers reported on sociodemographic factors (i.e., family adversity, ethnicity and urbanicity) from pregnancy to 4 years; child's involvement in bullying at age 6-7 years; residential mobility at 11 years and school mobility at 11-12 years. Young people reported on their friendships at 8 years, and antisocial behaviour and cannabis use at 15 years.

RESULTS

School mobility across childhood significantly predicted psychotic symptoms at 18 years (adjusted odds ratio = 2.15; 95% confidence intervals = 1.06, 4.40). Within path analysis, school mobility (β = .183, p = .035), involvement in bullying (β = .133, p = .013), antisocial behaviour (β = .052, p = .004), cannabis use (β = .254, p = .020) and female sex (β = .420, p < .001) significantly predicted psychotic symptoms. Residential mobility (β = .375, p < .001), involvement in bullying (β = .120, p = .022) and poor friendships (β = .038, p = .014) significantly predicted school mobility. Residential mobility indirectly increased the risk of psychotic symptoms via school mobility (β = .069, p = .041).

CONCLUSIONS

Children who move schools often are more likely to have experienced peer problems. School mobility, in turn, appears to be a robust marker for psychotic symptoms in late adolescence. Clinicians and teachers should consider school mobility as an important risk indicator for both peer problems and psychopathology.

Association Between Caregiver Stress and Behavioral Problems in the Children of Incarcerated Fathers in Hong Kong

Objectives Caregivers of children with incarcerated parents have received little attention in the literature, though they face unique incarceration-related challenges. General caregiver research has highlighted associations between caregiver distress and children's behavioral problems, even implying that the depressive tendencies of caregivers can be 'transmitted'. The current study investigated the applicability of this notion to caregivers responsible for children of incarcerated fathers. Methods Fifty-four female caregivers of children with incarcerated parents were recruited via collaboration with a non-governmental organization. Their levels of stress and depression were measured using questionnaires, as were the behavioral problems of children under their care. The relationships between the variables were examined. Results The results firstly suggest that these caregivers are vulnerable to psychological distress, with around 57 % of them suffering from borderline to severe depression. Obtained socio-demographic characteristics were not found to have any bearing on the psychosocial functioning of caregivers or children-rather, all psychosocial variables were interlinked, and further analyses revealed that the depression of caregivers mediated the relationship between their perceived stress and internalizing/externalizing behavioral problems of the child (β = .628 and β = .468 respectively), implicating depression as a mechanism via which adversity can be transferred from a caregiver to a child. Conclusions Increasing the focus on a caregiver's mental health may be an efficacious strategy in research and practice, perhaps by providing more support for caregivers and implementing joint caregiver-child interventions to more holistically alleviate problems in families affected by parental incarceration. Limitations of the current study and further recommendations are also discussed.

Effects of Parent-Child Relationships on Inmate Behavior: A Comparison of Male and Female Inmates

There is very little current information on the nature and extent of contacts between inmate parents and their children. To fill in this gap, it was the purpose of this study to determine how parental contacts with children, in the form of visits, mail, and telephone calls, affected inmate behavior behind bars. A subsample of more than 6,000 inmate parents from a larger sample of state prison inmates in the United States was analyzed. Results showed that inmates who got visits, both males and females, and mail (female inmates only) were more likely to be written up and/or found guilty of rule violations. Policy implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Parental Incarceration as a Risk Factor for Children in Homeless Families

The current study aimed to describe the prevalence of children of incarcerated parents (COIP) in a sample of homeless/highly mobile children, examine the relationship between parental incarceration and other risk factors, and investigate the effect of parental incarceration on child academic and mental health outcomes. The authors compared COIP (n = 45) to children whose parents were never incarcerated (n = 93) within a sample of 138, 4- to 7-year-old ethnically diverse children residing in emergency homeless shelters. Children's caregivers provided information about children's history of parental incarceration and other family experiences. Children's teachers reported academic and mental health outcomes in the subsequent school year. Compared to children with no history of parental incarceration, COIP experienced more negative life events. Regression models revealed that a history of parental incarceration was a significant predictor of teacher-reported internalizing problems. These results have implications for the identification and treatment of the highest risk homeless/highly mobile children.

The Impact of Parental Detention on the Psychological Wellbeing of Palestinian Children

BACKGROUND

Since 1967, the Palestinian Occupied Territories are marked by a political conflict between Palestinians and Israel. During this conflict, about one fifth of the Palestinian population has been detained; about one quarter of these are parents. Although we know that father's incarceration might impact their children's psychological wellbeing, little is known about the impact of father's imprisonment on young children (under 11 years old), and when the incarceration is framed in contexts of political conflict. Therefore, this study aimed at gaining insight into the impact of parental detention on young children's psychological wellbeing, and the impact of witnessing the detention process itself.

METHODS

Based on the list of imprisoned Palestinian men with children living in the West Bank, a group of 79 (3- to 10-years old) children was randomly composed. Above, through schools and health centers, a comparison sample of 99 children who didn't experience imprisonment of a family member was selected. Mothers of these children completed two cross-culturally validated questionnaires on their children's psychological wellbeing, the UCLA-PTSD-Index and the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ).

RESULTS

Results showed higher levels of PTSD and general mental health problems associated with father's capturing. Above, when the children watched the arrest process of their fathers, scores still increased further. Younger children tended to show higher SDQ scores, and children living in villages reported higher posttraumatic stress scores compared to children living in urban areas or refugee camps. Little gender differences were found.

CONCLUSION

This study shows the important impact of parental detention on the psychological wellbeing for young children and urges for more psychological care and support for family members--in particular children--of detainees.

Which matters most? Demographic, neuropsychological, personality, and situational factors in long-term marijuana and alcohol trajectories for justice-involved male youth

Justice-involved youth have high rates of alcohol and marijuana use. However, little is known about what may drive these rates over time. Using a large-scale (N = 1,056; 41.4% African American, 33.5% Hispanic) longitudinal study with strong retention (M retention = 90% over Years 1-7), we utilized random-effects regression to determine the comparative contribution of four sets of factors in justice-involved males' patterns of marijuana and heavy alcohol use (number of times drunk) over 7 years of follow-up: demographic, personality, situational, and neuropsychological factors. Across both marijuana and heavy alcohol use models, three factors were particularly strong contributors to lower rates of substance use: (a) Hispanic ethnicity, (b) less exposure (street) time, and (c) better impulse control. Similarly, two factors were strong contributors to increased rates of marijuana and heavy alcohol use: (a) delinquent peers and (b) family member arrest. Together, these findings indicate the relative superiority of these independent variables over other categories (i.e., neuropsychological factors) in predicting high-risk youths' long-term (7-year) rates of substance use. These findings also suggest the importance of evaluating the connection of these areas for high-risk, adjudicated youth.

Child welfare outcomes for youth in care as a result of parental death or parental incarceration

Every day, in the United States, children are removed from their homes and placed into state supervised out-of-home care because of concerns around their safety. These children enter care as a result of child abuse, child neglect, abandonment or some other reasons. Lost in most discussions of out-of-home care is the role that parental incarceration and parental death have on the trajectory of children through the child welfare system. In order to address this gap in the literature, the present study aims to compare youth in foster care as a result of parental death or youth in foster care as a result of parental incarceration with youth in care because of child maltreatment in terms of the length of time to achieve permanency. Holding all other variables constant, entering care as a result of parental death more than doubled the average time to exit (HR=2.32, SE=0.22), and these youth were significantly less likely to exit to permanency when compared to children entering care for other maltreatment reasons (OR=0.35, SE=0.24). Entering care as a result of parental incarceration led to a 24% longer time to exit (HR=1.24, SE=0.09) compared to children entering care for other maltreatment reasons. Findings suggest that a one-size-fits-all approach to policy and practice may not be useful to identifying permanent placements for children entering care as a result of parental death or incarceration.

Infant and toddler crying, sleeping and feeding problems and trajectories of dysregulated behavior across childhood

Infant and toddler regulatory problems (RPs) including crying, sleeping and feeding, are a frequent concern for parents and have been associated with negative behavioral outcomes in early and middle childhood. Uncertain is whether infant and toddler RPs predict stable, trait-like dysregulated behavior across childhood. We addressed this gap in the literature using data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). RPs at 6, 15-18, & 24-30 months and childhood dysregulated behavior at 4, 7, 8, & 9.5 years were assessed using mother report. Latent Class Growth Analysis (LCGA) indicated that trajectories of childhood dysregulated behavior were stable over time. All single RPs (i.e., crying, sleeping & feeding problems) were significantly associated with childhood dysregulated behavior. For example, crying problems at 6 months after controlling for confounders (Odds Ratios; 95% Confidence Intervals): Moderate dysregulated behavior: OR = 1.50, 95% CI [1.09 to 2.06], high dysregulated behavior: OR = 2.13, 95% CI [1.49 to 3.05] and very high dysregulated behavior: OR = 2.85, 95% CI [1.64 to 4.94]. Multiple RPs were especially strongly associated with dysregulated behavior. For example, the RP composite at 15-18 months: 1 RP, very high dysregulated behavior: OR = 2.79, 95% CI [2.17 to 3.57], 2 RPs, very high dysregulated behavior: OR = 3.46, 95% CI [2.38 to 5.01], 3 RPs, very high dysregulated behavior: OR = 12.57, 95% CI [6.38 to 24.74]. These findings suggest that RPs in infants and toddlers predict stable dysregulated behavior trajectories across childhood. Interventions for early RPs could help prevent the development of chronic, highly dysregulated behavior.

The case for improving the health of ex-prisoners

The global prison population exceeds 10 million and continues to grow; more than 30 million people are released from custody annually. These individuals are disproportionately poor, disenfranchised, and chronically ill. There are compelling, evidence-based arguments for improving health outcomes for ex-prisoners on human rights, public health, criminal justice, and economic grounds. These arguments stand in stark contrast to current policy and practice in most settings. There is also a dearth of evidence to guide clinicians and policymakers on how best to care for this large and growing population during and after their transition from custody to community. Well-designed longitudinal studies, clinical trials, and burden of disease studies are pivotal to closing this evidence gap.

Children's experiences of maternal incarceration-specific risks: predictions to psychological maladaptation

Children of incarcerated mothers are at increased risk for social and emotional difficulties, yet few studies have investigated potential mechanisms of risk within this population. This research simultaneously examined the association of children's experience of incarceration-specific risk factors (e.g., witness mother's arrest) and environmental risks (e.g., low educational attainment) to children's psychological maladaptation using a multi-informant design and a latent variable analytic approach. Participants were 117 currently incarcerated mothers (64.1% African American), their 151 children (53.6% boys, M age = 9.8 years, range = 6-12 years, 61.7% African American), and the 118 caregivers (74.8% female, 61.9% grandparents, 62.2% African American) of the children. Mothers, children, and caregivers each provided accounts of children's experiences related to maternal incarceration and children's internalizing and externalizing behavior problems. Mothers and caregivers each supplied information about 10 environmental risk factors. Findings from structural equation modeling indicate that children's incarceration-specific risk experiences predict internalizing and externalizing behavior problems whereas the influence of environmental risks was negligible. Follow-up analyses examining the contribution of specific risks indicate that significant predictors differ by reporter and separate into effects of family incarceration history and direct experiences of maternal incarceration. Incarceration-specific experiences place children at higher risk for maladjustment than exposure to general environmental risk factors. These findings indicate the need to critically examine children's exposure to experiences related to maternal incarceration and family incarceration history to help to clarify the multifaceted stressor of maternal incarceration.

Children exposed to the arrest of a family member: Associations with mental health

The arrest of a parent or other family member can be detrimental to children's health. To study the impact of exposure to the arrest of a family member on children's mental health and how said association may change across developmental periods, we examined baseline data for children (birth through 11 years) entering family-based systems of care (SOC). Children exposed to the arrest of a family member had experienced significantly more 5.38 (SD = 2.59) different types of potentially traumatic events (PTE) than children not exposed to arrest 2.84 (SD = 2.56). Multiple regression model results showed that arrest exposure was significantly associated with greater behavioral and emotional challenges after controlling for children's age, gender, race/ethnicity, household income, caregiver's education, parenting factors, and other PTE exposure. Further analyses revealed differences in internalizing and externalizing behaviors associated with arrest exposure across developmental levels. This study highlights some of the mental health challenges for children exposed to the arrest of a family member, while adding to our knowledge of how such an event affects children across different developmental periods. More trauma-informed, developmentally appropriate systems need to be in place at all levels to assist children and families experiencing arrest.

Being bullied during childhood and the prospective pathways to self-harm in late adolescence

OBJECTIVE

To assess whether being bullied between 7 and 10 years of age is directly associated with self-harm in late adolescence when controlling for previous exposure to an adverse family environment (domestic violence, maladaptive parenting); concurrent internalizing and externalizing behavior; and subsequent psychopathology (borderline personality disorder and depression symptoms).

METHOD

A total of 4,810 children and adolescents in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) cohort were assessed to ascertain bullying exposure (between 7 and 10 years of age) and self-harm at 16 to 17 years.

RESULTS

A total of 16.5% of 16- to 17-year-olds reported self-harm in the previous year. Being bullied was associated with an increased risk of self-harm directly, and indirectly via depression symptoms in early adolescence. The association between an adverse family environment (exposure to maladaptive parenting and domestic violence) and self-harm was partially mediated by being bullied.

CONCLUSIONS

Being bullied during childhood increases the risk of self-harm in late adolescence via several distinct pathways, for example, by increasing the risk of depression and by exacerbating the effects of exposure to an adverse family environment; as well as in the absence of these risk exposures. Health practitioners evaluating self-harm should be aware that being bullied is an important potential risk factor.

Maternal jail time, conviction, and arrest as predictors of children's 15-year antisocial outcomes in the context of a nurse home visiting program

Data from the Nurse-Family Partnership intervention program were analyzed to compare the "selection" versus "unique" effects of maternal jail time on adolescent antisocial and health risk outcomes. Data from 320 women and their firstborn children were available from the prenatal, birth, and 15-year assessments. Consistent with a selection perspective, prenatal and demographic risks directly and indirectly related to many adolescent antisocial outcomes. Maternal conviction and arrest were also associated with adolescent contact with the criminal justice system and health risk behaviors. Maternal jail time predicted whether or not children had ever been stopped by police, sent to youth corrections, or run away from home. However, these associations were not significant after controlling for prenatal risk factors and maternal conviction and arrest. The results highlight the importance of maternal criminality and other risk factors in children's environments, including prenatal variables.

Parental incarceration and gender-based risks for increased body mass index: evidence from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health in the United States

Although recent studies suggest that 13% of young adults, including at least one-fourth of African Americans, experience parental incarceration, little research has examined links between parental incarceration and physical health. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (1994-2008) and gender-based theories of stress, the authors examined whether parental incarceration is associated with increased body mass index among women but not men. Panel analysis spanning adolescence and adulthood, controlling for stressful life events, internalizing behaviors, and a range of individual, familial, and neighborhood characteristics, reveals that body mass index for women who have experienced parental incarceration is 0.49 units (P < 0.004) higher than that for women whose parents have never been incarcerated. This association is not evident among men. Similarly, in change score models between waves II and IV, women experiencing parental incarceration have a 0.92-unit increase in body mass index (P < 0.026) relative to women who did not have a parent undergo incarceration. In supplemental analysis examining if gender differences in incarceration stress response (externalizing vs. internalizing) explain these findings, the authors found that obesity status moderates the relation between depression and parental incarceration. Results suggest a stress internalization process that, for the first time, links parental incarceration with obesity among women.

Children's antisocial behavior, mental health, drug use, and educational performance after parental incarceration: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Unprecedented numbers of children experience parental incarceration worldwide. Families and children of prisoners can experience multiple difficulties after parental incarceration, including traumatic separation, loneliness, stigma, confused explanations to children, unstable childcare arrangements, strained parenting, reduced income, and home, school, and neighborhood moves. Children of incarcerated parents often have multiple, stressful life events before parental incarceration. Theoretically, children with incarcerated parents may be at risk for a range of adverse behavioral outcomes. A systematic review was conducted to synthesize empirical evidence on associations between parental incarceration and children's later antisocial behavior, mental health problems, drug use, and educational performance. Results from 40 studies (including 7,374 children with incarcerated parents and 37,325 comparison children in 50 samples) were pooled in a meta-analysis. The most rigorous studies showed that parental incarceration is associated with higher risk for children's antisocial behavior, but not for mental health problems, drug use, or poor educational performance. Studies that controlled for parental criminality or children's antisocial behavior before parental incarceration had a pooled effect size of OR = 1.4 (p < .01), corresponding to about 10% increased risk for antisocial behavior among children with incarcerated parents, compared with peers. Effect sizes did not decrease with number of covariates controlled. However, the methodological quality of many studies was poor. More rigorous tests of the causal effects of parental incarceration are needed, using randomized designs and prospective longitudinal studies. Criminal justice reforms and national support systems might be needed to prevent harmful consequences of parental incarceration for children.

Caregiver drug use and arrest as correlates of child trauma exposure

This study proposed to determine the prevalence of substance use and drug-related arrests among caregivers of children referred to Child Protective Services (CPS), examine the relationship between substance use and arrests among caregivers, and examine the main effects and interaction of substance use and arrests in predicting child trauma exposure. Secondary data was collected from CPS files for a randomly selected group of 1127 children. Findings indicated that rates of caregiver substance misuse and arrests were higher than the general population, which was expected. When controlling for demographic and other variables, there was a main effect of substance use and arrests on child trauma exposure, but no significant interaction. Implications for caregivers engaged in substance use and/or involvement with the criminal justice system are discussed, as well as clinical and research implications for children exposed to trauma related to caregiver behaviors.

Inside the prison black box: toward a life course importation model of inmate behavior

The importation model is a venerable theoretical explanation for inmate misconduct but it has not been extended in nearly 50 years. The current study advances a life course importation model of inmate behavior where life events in childhood cascade to predict antisocial behavior during adolescence and misconduct occurring during periods of confinement. Based on data from 2,520 institutionalized male delinquents, ordinary least squares, logistic, and negative binomial regression models indicated that family background variables were largely predictive of multiple facets of delinquent careers. Negative binomial regression models of institutional misconduct indicated that proximal delinquent career variables were more consistently associated with misconduct than distal family background factors. Because institutional behavior can be understood as the importing of family deprivation experiences and chronic delinquency, the life course importation model is a useful conceptual framework to study crime over the life course, even including periods of confinement.

Identifying and determining the symptom severity associated with polyvictimization among psychiatrically impaired children in the outpatient setting

Polyvictimization involves experiencing multiple forms of maltreatment or other interpersonal victimization, and places children at risk for severe psychosocial impairment. Children with psychiatric problems are at risk for polyvictimization, and polyvictimized child psychiatric inpatients have been found to have particularly severe psychiatric symptoms. Cluster analysis was used to identify a polyvictimized subgroup (N = 22, 8%) among 295 outpatient admissions in 2007-2009 to a child psychiatry outpatient clinic, based on chart review of documented maltreatment, parental impairment (history of arrest, psychiatric illness, and substance use), and multiple out-of-home placements. Polyvictimization was associated with severe parent-reported externalizing problems and clinician-rated psychosocial impairment, independent of demographics and psychiatric diagnoses. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was the only psychiatric diagnosis associated with polyvictimization. Polyvictimization merits further clinical and research assessment with child psychiatry outpatients. Evidence-based PTSD assessment and treatment for polyvictimized children with adaptations to address their severe impairment and externalizing problems also warrants empirical evaluation.

Mediators of the Effect of Parental Incarceration on Adolescent Externalizing Behaviors

Over the past two decades, the number of children with parents in prison has increased substantially. Using structural equation modeling with prospective longitudinal data gathered as part of the ongoing Linking the Interests of Families and Teachers (LIFT) trial, the study tests a theoretical model which examines the direct and indirect relationships of four specific domains (parental incarceration, social advantage, parent mental and physical health, effective parenting) as they relate to youth antisocial behavior in the 5th, 8th, and 10th grades. Across all three grades, the relationship between parental incarceration and youth antisocial behaviors was mediated through a complex set of both direct and indirect pathways involving social advantage, parent health, and effective parenting. The total amount of variation explained by the models for youth externalizing ranged from .60 (in 5th grade) to .21 (in 10th grade). The total effects in all the refined models were small.

Paternal incarceration and trajectories of marijuana and other illegal drug use from adolescence into young adulthood: evidence from longitudinal panels of males and females in the United States

AIMS

One-eighth of young adults in the United States report that their biological father has ever been incarcerated (FEI). This study is the first to examine associations between FEI and trajectories of substance use during the transition from adolescence into young adulthood for the US population.

DESIGN

Using multi-level modeling techniques, trajectories of marijuana and other illegal drug use are examined, with FEI as the primary independent variable.

SETTING

Data are from the first three waves of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, a nationally representative sample of US adolescents beginning in 1995.

PARTICIPANTS

Panels of 7157 males and 7997 females followed from adolescence (7th-12th grades) into early adulthood (ages 18-27 years).

MEASUREMENTS

Dependent variables included an ordinal measure of marijuana frequency of use in last thirty days, and a dichotomous measure for whether respondent had any use in the last thirty days of illegal drugs such crystal meth, cocaine, heroin, hallucinogens, PCP, LSD, speed, and ecstasy.

FINDINGS

Among males and females, respectively, FEI is associated with an increased frequency of marijuana use, and increased odds of any other illegal drug use. Interactions between FEI and age further reveal that FEI is associated with an accentuated trajectory (i.e. a steeper slope) of marijuana use, and an elevated risk (i.e. higher mean level) of other illegal drug use.

CONCLUSIONS

Analysis provides some of the first evidence that paternal incarceration is significantly associated with drug use among U.S. males and females, even after controlling for a number of family background, parental, and individual characteristics.

Parental Incarceration during Childhood, Family Context, and Youth Problem Behavior across Adolescence

Over the past several decades, the number of youth with parents in prison in the U.S. has increased substantially. Findings thus far indicate a vulnerable group of children. Using prospective longitudinal data gathered as part of the population-based Linking the Interests of Families and Teachers (LIFT) randomized controlled trial, adolescents who had an incarcerated parent during childhood are compared to those who did not across four key domains: family social advantage, parent health, the parenting strategies of families, and youth externalizing behavior and serious delinquency. Past parental incarceration was associated with lower family income, parental education, parental socioeconomic status, and parental health, and with higher levels of parental depression, inappropriate and inconsistent discipline, youth problem behaviors and serious delinquency. The effect sizes for significant associations were small to moderate.