Parental incarceration, youth mental health, and resilience: Relationships at home and beyond

Abstract

Objective: We explored how relationship closeness across six contexts form distinct profiles among Minnesota youth with a history of parental incarceration and how these profiles relate to self-reported anxiety and depression. Background: In Minnesota, one in six youth report having a parent who has been incarcerated. There is a need for strengths-based research on protective factors associated with positive mental health outcomes for this population. Method: Data were analyzed from the cross-sectional 2022 Minnesota Student Survey, which included a sample of eighth, ninth, and 11th graders in public schools who reported parental incarceration (17%; N = 13,423). Latent profile analysis identified patterns of closeness to parents, relatives, friends, teachers, school adults, and community adults. Wald chi-square tests and regressions examined differences in self-reported anxiety and depression across profiles, controlling for age, sex, race/ethnicity, and food and housing insecurity. Results: Six distinct relationship profiles emerged. Youth with higher levels of closeness across all relationships, especially with family, reported significantly lower levels of anxiety and depression symptoms. Conclusions: Our findings reveal associations between constellations of close relationships and reduced anxiety and depression among youth with a history of parental incarceration. Implications: Results inform multisystem policies and programs aimed at strengthening youth relationships, particularly family bonds, during and after parental incarceration.