(PS13-A3) Breaking the Intergenerational Cycle: Considering the Lingering Impacts of Parental Incarceration

Experiencing parental incarceration (PI) can lead to long-lasting impacts on psychological wellbeing, and the associated hardships, such as family stress and mental health disparities, have been extensively studied (Wakefield & Wildeman, 2018; Noel & Najowski, 2019). Children of incarcerated parents experience more depression, anxiety, stress, and dysfunctional emotion regulation (ER) strategies such as self-blaming, self-harm, and externalization (Wright & Seymore, 2000). While research has explored the experiences of children, adolescents, and young adults with PI, understanding maladaptive ER strategies as a mechanism between PI and psychological symptoms may provide a more thorough understanding of the extent to which parental incarceration impacts children’s future anxiety, depression, and irritability. The present study surveyed a sample of 206 college students, of whom nearly 14% of participants reported having a parent incarcerated during their childhood. Participants endorsing PI experienced more depression and irritability than peers without PI and engaged in more dysfunctional ER strategies. Mediation analyses showed that the impact of PI on participants’ anxiety, irritability, and depression during college was partially mediated by their use of dysfunctional ER strategies, such that individuals who experienced PI used more dysfunctional ER strategies which then contributed to increased symptoms of anxiety, irritability, and depression. These findings suggest that individuals who experience PI may benefit from interventions focused on decreasing the use of dysfunctional ER strategies.