1 - (SYM 79) Linkages Between Family, Peer, Workplace, and Neighborhood Factors and Mental Health Concerns Among Individuals on Probation and Parole

Background: Mental health concerns are prevalent among adults involved in the criminal legal system and increase the risk for rearrest and reincarceration (James et al., 2006; Sadeh et al., 2015). Thus, it seems important to understand factors linked with psychiatric distress among these individuals. Prior work has established that system-involved individuals have strengths and needs across their social environment, which are likely implicated in their mental health. However, these effect of these domains are typically studied in isolation from one another and have rarely been studied conjointly. To that end, the present study, informed by Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory (1979), sought to examine the link between family functioning, peer relations, workplace and neighborhood characteristics, and psychiatric functioning among individuals on probation and parole. 

Method: Individuals on probation and parole were recruited from probation and parole offices and online (N = 101). Participants then completed measures on their current psychiatric distress (i.e., the Brief Symptom Inventory; Derogatis, 1993), family and peer support (Multidimensional Perceived Support; Zimet et al, 1988), interactions with family and peers involved with criminal activities (Pittsburgh Study Peers Scale; Loeber et al., 1988), barriers to finding or obtaining better employment (the Perceived Employment Barriers Scale; Hong et al., 2014), and neighborhood safety and cohesion (Neighborhood Qualities Measure, Mujahid et al.,2007). To examine the effect of these social-ecological domains on psychiatric concerns, hierarchical linear regressions were performed.

Results: Hierarchical linear regressions revealed that family, peer, workplace, and neighborhood factors accounted for significant portions of variance in somatization (R² = .25), phobic anxiety (R² = .37), obsessive compulsion (R² = .36), depression (R² = .34), and hostility (R² = .56). Across all models, family and peer variables contributed the greatest amount of variance.

Implications: In the present study, domains of family functioning and peer relations were most consistently linked with current psychiatric functioning for individuals on probation and parole. These results suggest the need for ecologically informed interventions for individuals with criminal legal system involvement.