Physical and Mental Health Disparities for Young Women with Arrest Histories

Abstract

Young women ages 18 to 25 make up approximately 30 percent of women arrested in the United States. Although health disparities have been found for incarcerated adults, health concerns for this subpopulation of women have not been as closely examined. Aiming to fill this gap in the literature, this study examined national data for young women ages 18 to 25 who participated in the National Survey of Drug Use and Health. Physical and mental health concerns were compared for young women with and without arrest histories. Young women with arrest histories had significantly higher odds ratios of multiple physical health concerns and all forms of mental health concerns, including recent suicide attempts. This study indicates that history of arrest is significantly associated with health disparities for young women and thus expands and builds gender-specific knowledge for the field of criminal justice epidemiology. Given the intersecting needs of physical health, mental health, and criminal justice involvement, the fields of public health and social work may contribute to gender-responsive interventions that incorporate health promotion specifically for this population of women.

Mental health disparities in young adults with arrest history: a survey-based, cross-sectional analysis

“…Among men, an arrest history was associated with an increased probability of substance use, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempt. Results for women corroborate findings from a 2017 study on mental and physical disparities among young women with an arrest history that also found an association between arrest history and increased odds of having mental health disorder (Fedock & Sarantakos, 2017 ). Although causation cannot be established, there is a strong association between mental health outcomes and arrest history.…”

Mental Health Task-Shifting in Community-Based Organizations: Implementation, Impact, and Cost — Evaluation of the Connections to Care Program

“…Both clinically significant depression and subclinical symptoms have been associated with lower educational attainment (Fletcher, 2010). The associations are also bidirectional, meaning there is some evidence that lower educational attainment can lead to subsequent mental health problems and substance use (Esch et al, 2014;Freudenberg and Ruglis, 2007) Incarceration Mental health and substance use issues are associated with incarceration and recidivism, because mental health problems and substance use are more common among criminal justiceinvolved persons (Bronson and Berzofsky, 2017;Fedock and Sarantakos, 2017;Greenberg and Rosenheck, 2009;Hawthorne et al, 2012;Prins, 2014;Sugie and Turney, 2017). Although prevalence estimates vary substantially, one systematic review found that the prevalence of major depression among persons incarcerated in state prisons ranged from about one in ten persons to nearly one in three persons (Prins, 2014).…”

“…Mental health problems (including substance use) can make it more difficult for people to find or keep full-time employment, stay in school, obtain and keep stable housing, and avoid the criminal justice system (Antonisse and Garfield, 2018;Esch et al, 2014;Fazel, Geddes, and Kushel, 2014;Hawthorne et al, 2012;Kim and Ford, 2006). The outcomes examined in this chapter are interrelated in terms of their causes and mutually reinforcing nature (Acker et al, 2019;Commission on the Social Determinants of Health, 2008;Fedock and Sarantakos, 2017;Freudenberg and Ruglis, 2007;Kim and Ford, 2006;National Health Care for the Homeless Council, 2016;Prins, 2014). For example, the effect of depression on educational attainment may have longer-term implications for employment status (McGee and Thompson, 2015).…”