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Bidirectional Associations of Mental Health with Self-Reported Criminal Offending Over Time for At-Risk Early Adult Men in the USA

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Abstract

Criminal offending and mental health problems often co-occur. This study examined competing models to understand bidirectional associations between crime and mental health problems over time among at-risk men in the USA. It was hypothesized that there would be significant cross-lagged associations of offending and mental health problems in early adulthood. Longitudinal data were drawn from 206 at-risk men enrolled in the Oregon Youth Study. Random intercept cross-lagged models examined bidirectional associations between mental health problems (assessed with the 53-item Brief Symptom Inventory) and self-reported offending in early adulthood across 6-time points from ages 19–20 to 29–30 years. Sociodemographic factors, prior levels, and common risk factors (i.e., parents’ criminality, mental health problems, socioeconomic status, child age, antisocial propensity, and internalizing behaviors) were controlled during analysis. A robust association between mental health problems and offending was found for the early adult period, especially for total and violence offenses. Findings did not support the hypothesized positive cross-lagged effects. Instead, two cross-lagged effects emerged indicating that offending was inversely related to subsequent mental health problems. Childhood antisocial propensity and internalizing behaviors emerged as important predictors of stable between-person level differences in offending and mental health problems, respectively, although results differed as a function of offense categories (total, violence, property, drug). Findings indicate that the relation between mental health problems and offending is unidirectional, temporal, and partially spurious. Preventing child internalizing behaviors and child antisocial behaviors holds promise for reducing early adult mental health problems and offending.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank the individuals who participated in this study and the study staff including Project Coordinator Shivan Tucci and Editorial Assistant Sally Schwader.

Funding

This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), U.S. PHS to Drs. Capaldi and Kerr: Award Number R01 DA 015485 (Intergenerational Studies Consortium: Understanding Mechanisms of Family Substance Use Transmission of Effects of Marijuana Legalization) from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).

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  1. Department of Psychological, Health, and Learning Sciences, University of Houston, 3657 Cullen Blvd., Suite 491, Houston, TX, 77204-5029, USA

    Margit Wiesner & Weiwei Wu

  2. Oregon Social Learning Center, Eugene, OR, USA

    Deborah M. Capaldi & David C. R. Kerr

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Dr. Wiesner planned the conceptual approach of the present study, in discussions with Drs. Capaldi and Kerr. Dr. Wiesner conducted the analysis and wrote the first draft of the manuscript, Drs. Capaldi and Kerr made substantial additions and modifications, and Ms. Wu assisted with the preparation of results tables, samples, procedures, and measure descriptions.

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Wiesner, M., Capaldi, D.M., Kerr, D.C.R. et al. Bidirectional Associations of Mental Health with Self-Reported Criminal Offending Over Time for At-Risk Early Adult Men in the USA. J Dev Life Course Criminology 9, 211–237 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40865-022-00221-y

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