Correlates of Incarceration of Fathers, Socioeconomic Influences, and Mental Illness

Citation

Banks, A. & Fields, L. (2020). Correlates of Incarceration of Fathers, Socioeconomic Influences, and Mental Illness. Social Work in Public Health. pp. 12

Abstract

The United States leads globally in incarceration. Incarceration can disrupt families in both immediate and long-term ways, including finances and mental illness. We examined the relationship between father incarceration during adolescence and the development of mental illness in adulthood as well as the relationship of household assets and debts in relation to the mental illness outcomes. Wave IV data of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health were used with a final analytic sample of 2129 participants. Data were analyzed using MANOVA in Stata 13.1. The findings indicated that biological father incarceration correlates with more adolescent mental illness. Enhanced model residuals were also significant for father incarceration, household assets, and household debts. Incarceration of biological fathers correlates with poorer mental health outcomes. Household assets and debts correlate with changes in adolescent outcomes as well, giving us more target areas for intervention development and testing. Clinically, assessing for adolescent experiences with father incarceration may be useful in supporting improved mental health over the life course. Policy work should give more attention to promotion of health and well-being of adolescents via reduction of the negative experience of fathers serving and/or having served time in prison. More discussion on family-level assets and debts is warranted to promote health and well-being for adolescents and adults.

URL

https://doi.org/10.1080/19371918.2020.1851842

Keyword(s)

Fathers

Notes

ISI Document Delivery No.: OY3CX Times Cited: 0 Cited Reference Count: 42 Banks, Andrae Fields, LaShawnda 0 1 ROUTLEDGE JOURNALS, TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD ABINGDON SOC WORK PUBLIC HLTH

Reference Type

Journal Article

Journal Title

Social Work in Public Health

Author(s)

Banks, A.
Fields, L.

Year Published

2020

Pages

12

ISSN/ISBN

1937-1918

DOI

10.1080/19371918.2020.1851842

Reference ID

6003