Invited Commentary: Unveiling the Grim Reality- Suicide Mortality Among Formerly Incarcerated Individuals in North Carolina.

In the article by Fitch et al. (Am J Epidemiol. 2024; 193(3):489-499) the authors highlight the concerning prevalence of suicide mortality among formerly incarcerated individuals in North Carolina. Their retrospective study reveals a doubled suicide risk post-release, with notable disparities among demographic groups. Urgent interventions are needed, including comprehensive re-entry programs and systemic reforms to address structural inequalities. I suggest tailored support services to mitigate suicide risks and promote successful community reintegration, advocating for equity, justice, and human dignity in post-release efforts.

Mode of mutual-help group attendance: Predictors and outcomes in a US national longitudinal survey of adults with lifetime alcohol use disorder.

INTRODUCTION: Although attending substance use-focused mutual-help meetings online may reduce attendance barriers, associations of attendance mode with group participation and outcomes are unknown. Using longitudinal data from mutual-help group attendees, this study, after identifying differences in baseline characteristics by attendance mode, examined associations of attendance mode with mutual-help participation (number of meetings attended, involvement) and outcomes (alcohol abstinence, heavy drinking, alcohol problems). METHODS: The Peer Alternatives for Addiction Study 2021 Cohort sampled attendees of 12-step groups (e.g., Alcoholics Anonymous), Women for Sobriety, LifeRing Secular Recovery, and/or SMART Recovery in-person and/or online within 30 days before baseline. The baseline sample, recruited in fall 2021, was 531 adults with lifetime alcohol use disorder, followed at 6 (88 %) and 12 months (85 %). Differences in baseline characteristics by attendance mode were tested using Chi-squares and ANOVAs. GEE models examined associations of attendance mode, time, and their interactions with mutual-help group participation and alcohol outcomes. The in-person only mode was compared to the online-only, and to the in-person plus online, modes. RESULTS: At baseline, 53.7 % of participants had attended only online meetings in the past 30 days, 33.7 % had attended both in-person and online meetings, and 12.6 % had attended only in-person meetings. Online meeting attendees were less likely to endorse lifetime abstinence as an alcohol recovery goal than in-person-only meeting attendees. In adjusted models (including for recovery goal), those attending online meetings only, or both online and in-person meetings, attended a greater number of meetings compared to those attending only in-person meetings. However, online-only attendance was associated with less involvement than in-person-only attendance. In adjusted models, compared to baseline, involvement increased and outcomes improved at follow-ups. Adjusted models examining alcohol outcomes found that no attendance at mutual-help groups at follow-ups was associated with more heavy drinking compared to in-person-only attendance. CONCLUSIONS: Findings inform efforts to ascertain benefits of mutual-help group participation by suggesting that online attendance is associated with attending more meetings, less involvement, and lower endorsement of abstinence as a recovery goal, and is comparable to in-person attendance on alcohol outcomes. In-person attendance may be more beneficial for less heavy drinking than terminating attendance.

Opioid Overdose Knowledge Among Adolescents and Young Adults.

This cross-sectional study examines awareness of opioid overdose, the ability to administer naloxone, and the willingness to help during an overdose on college campuses across the US.

Characteristics of Students Participating in Collegiate Recovery Programs and the Impact of COVID-19: An Updated National Longitudinal Study.

The goals of the present study were to describe the development of the first national longitudinal study of collegiate recovery programs (CRP) students; provide an updated characterization of CRP students' demographics, past problem severity, and current recovery-related functioning; and examine the perceived impact of COVID-19 on CRP students' recovery. Universities and community colleges with CRPs across the United States and Ontario, Canada, were invited to partner on this project. Launched in fall 2020, three cohorts of participants were recruited. All participants who completed the baseline survey (N = 334 from 43 CRPs) were invited to complete follow-up surveys. The sample was composed of mostly undergraduate, White, cisgender women averaging 29 years old at baseline. They reported challenging backgrounds, including high levels of polysubstance use, alcohol/substance problem severity, mental health challenges, and involvement with the criminal legal system. Despite such adversity, they evidenced high levels of recovery-related functioning. Recovery capital and quality of life were high. Students reported an average of nearly four years in recovery, with most having between two and four years of abstinence from their primary substance of choice. COVID-19 represented a substantial source of stress for many, impacting some students' abstinence and recovery-related functioning. Results generally parallel findings from the only other national study of CRP students conducted a decade ago, providing a much-needed update and novel insights into CRP students. Findings can inform our understanding of the CRP student population and can be used to tailor CRP design and service offerings to students' backgrounds and needs.

Learning with conviction: Exploring the relationship between criminal legal system involvement and substance use and recovery outcomes for students in collegiate recovery programs.

This study examines the association of criminal legal system involvement and age with substance use and academic related outcomes among students involved in collegiate recovery programs in the US. We examined 435 students in collegiate recovery using a national survey of college students. We computed differences between non-system-involved, system-involved with no incarceration history, and formerly incarcerated participants on relevant substance use and recovery-related outcomes. The results provide evidence that there are significant differences between those system-involved and those who are not. Specifically, we found significant differences across the outcomes of recovery capital, quality of life, hours worked per week, and substance use disorder symptoms, but after controlling for relevant covariates, only the differences between hours worked (non-system involved and system involved < formerly incarcerated) and substance use disorder symptoms (non-system involved < system involved and formerly incarcerated) remained significant. The study contributes to the literature by demonstrating that nearly half of the collegiate students in recovery in this sample have legal system-involvement and a third have been incarcerated. Further, interventions for collegiate recovery programs may need to be adjusted to account for legal system involvement among their members.

Racial and Ethnic Differences in Heroin, Methamphetamine, and Cocaine Use, Treatment, and Mortality Trends in 3 National Data Sources-United States, 2010-2019.

BACKGROUND: As overdose deaths continue to rise, public health officials need comprehensive surveillance data to design effective prevention, harm reduction, and treatment strategies. Disparities across race and ethnicity groups, as well as trends in substance use, treatment, or overdose deaths, have been examined individually, but reports rarely compare findings across multiple substances or data sources. OBJECTIVE: To provide a broad assessment of the overdose crisis, we describe trends in substance use, treatment, and overdose mortality across racial and ethnic groups for multiple substances. RESEARCH DESIGN: We conducted a longitudinal, cross-sectional analysis comparing trends. SUBJECTS: We identified self-reported use from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, substance use treatment admissions from the Treatment Episode Data Set-Admissions, and overdose deaths from the CDC's Multiple Cause of Death files. MEASURES: We measured rates of substance use, treatment, and deaths involving heroin, methamphetamine, and cocaine among United States adults from 2010 to 2019. RESULTS: Heroin, methamphetamine, and cocaine use increased, though not all changes were statistically significant. Treatment admissions indicating heroin and methamphetamine increased while admissions indicating cocaine decreased. Overdose deaths increased among all groups: methamphetamine (257%-1,115%), heroin (211%-577%), and cocaine (88%-259%). Changes in rates of use, treatment, and death for specific substances varied by racial and ethnic group. CONCLUSIONS: Substance use, treatment, and overdose mortality changed considerably, though not always equivalently. Identifying diverging trends in substance-related measures for specific substances and racial and ethnic groups can inform targeted investment in treatment to reduce disparities and respond to emerging changes in the overdose crisis.

Healthcare utilization and readiness outcomes among soldiers with post-deployment at-risk drinking, by multimorbidity class.

Although alcohol use disorder (AUD) regularly co-occurs with other conditions, there has not been investigation of specific multimorbidity classes among military members with at-risk alcohol use. We used latent class analysis (LCA) to cluster 138,929 soldiers with post-deployment at-risk drinking based on their co-occurring psychological and physical health conditions and indicators of alcohol severity. We examined the association of these multimorbidity classes with healthcare utilization and military readiness outcomes. Latent class analysis was conducted on 31 dichotomous indicators capturing alcohol use severity, mental health screens, psychological and physical health diagnoses, and tobacco use. Longitudinal survival analysis was used to examine the relative hazards of class membership regarding healthcare utilization (e.g., emergency department visit, inpatient stay) and readiness outcomes (e.g., early separation for misconduct). Latent class analysis identified five classes: Class 1 -Relatively Healthy (51.6 %); Class 2 - Pain/Tobacco (17.3 %); Class 3 - Heavy Drinking/Pain/Tobacco (13.1 %); Class 4 - Mental Health/Pain/Tobacco (12.7 %); and Class 5 - Heavy Drinking/Mental Health/Pain/Tobacco (5.4 %). Musculoskeletal pain and tobacco use were prevalent in all classes, though highest in Classes 2, 4, and 5. Classes 4 and 5 had the highest hazards of all outcomes. Class 5 generally exhibited slightly higher hazards of all outcomes than Class 4, demonstrating the exacerbation of risk among those with heavy drinking/AUD in combination with mental health conditions and other multimorbidity. This study provides new information about the most common multimorbidity presentations of at-risk drinkers in the military so that targeted, individualized care may be employed. Future research is needed to determine whether tailored prevention and treatment approaches for soldiers in different multimorbidity classes is associated with improved outcomes.

Understanding Regional Patterns of Overdose Deaths Related to Opioids and Psychostimulants.

BACKGROUND: As overdose rates increase for multiple substances, policymakers need to identify geographic patterns of substance-specific deaths. In this study, we describe county-level opioid and psychostimulant overdose patterns and how they correlate with county-level social vulnerability measures. METHODS: A cross-sectional observational study, we used nationwide 2016-2018 restricted access Centers for Disease Prevention and Control county-level mortality files for 1,024 counties. We estimated quartiles of opioid and psychostimulant overdose mortality and provided estimates of their association with county-level Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) percentile. RESULTS: There was high opioid and psychostimulant overdose mortality in the Middle Atlantic, South Atlantic, East North Central, and Mountain regions. The Central US had the lowest opioid and psychostimulant overdose mortality rates. Counties with higher SVI scores (i.e. higher social vulnerability) were significantly more likely to experience high opioid and high psychostimulant overdose (high-high) mortality. A 10-percentile increase in SVI score was associated with a 3.1 percentage point increase in the likelihood of being a high-high county (p < 0.001) in unadjusted models and a 1.5 percentage point increase (p < 0.05) in models adjusting for region. CONCLUSION: Our results illustrated the heterogenous geographic distribution of the growing concurrent opioid and psychostimulant overdose crisis. The substantial regional variation we identified highlights the need for local data to guide policymaking and treatment planning. The association of opioid-psychostimulant overdose mortality with social vulnerability demonstrates the critical need in impacted counties for tailored treatment that addresses the complex medical and social needs of people who use both opioids and psychostimulants.

Perspectives of researchers with lived experience in implementation science research: Opportunities to close the research-to-practice gap in substance use systems of care.

Background: The field of implementation science acknowledges the importance of diversity within research teams including members from diverse disciplines and with lived expertise in practical implementation (e.g., administrators, front-line workers, patients/clients). Gaps remain in the successful implementation of proven substance use treatment interventions. Methods: This paper will outline the rationale for the purposeful inclusion of researchers with lived experience (RLE) related to substance use disorder (SUD) within implementation science research studies focused on improving SUD services. Results: We posit that researchers with such experience can help address research-to-practice gaps by (1) building strong community partnerships, (2) engaging in conversations around effective interventions through knowledge translation, (3) providing community-congruent approaches to evaluation, and (4) aiding in dissemination and sustainability efforts. Conclusions: We end by offering recommendations for researchers without lived experience as they intentionally collaborate with RLE.

Implementation science usually involves and prioritizes community collaboration; however, there are often barriers to community collaboration because the community may not trust researcher intentions or there might be challenges to identifying shared language. Researchers who have lived experience with substance use disorders might be able to make community collaborations between researchers and community members easier through shared knowledge of both research and lived experience. The involvement of researchers with lived experience may also help community-based organizations find the best ways to use evidence-based practices. We describe ways that the intentional involvement of researchers with lived experience may improve implementation outcomes and ultimately improve the services received and experiences of community members.

A Socio-Ecological Model for Collegiate Recovery Programs.

Given the major public health issue of substance use in the college environment and among college students, we must improve our understanding of students attempting to resolve substance related issues. Though much of research and policy attention has focused on individual progress according to personal characteristics and experiences, a much broader, theoretically informed understanding based on interpersonal relationships and contextual conditions of the school and society is warranted. Collegiate recovery programs (CRPs) are a system-level intervention that acknowledges the individual in context and seeks to support them and capitalize on their own skills within a safe environment to practice recovery. To ground CRPs as an environmental support targeting emerging adults that can improve student health and well-being, we developed a social-ecological framework that conceptualizes the multifaceted factors that influence them. Specifically, we aimed to understand factors influencing individuals in CRPs through direct and indirect effects. This conceptualization will better inform the development, implementation, and evaluation of these programs. Our theory-driven framework elucidates the multi-level complexity of CRPs and the importance of individual interventions as well as intervention from multiple stakeholder groups.

Patient-Concerned Other Dyads' 12-Step Involvement and Patients' Substance Use: A Latent Class Growth Model Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to inform clinical practice by identifying subgroups of patient-concerned other (CO) dyads. Patients with alcohol use disorders (AUDs) were characterized on Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) involvement and substance use together with COs' Al-Anon involvement. Predictors and recovery maintenance outcomes of subgroup membership were examined. METHOD: Participants were 279 patient-CO dyads. Patients were in residential treatment for AUD. Parallel latent class growth model analysis characterized 12-step involvement and substance use at treatment entry and 3-, 6-, and 12-month follow-ups. RESULTS: Three classes were as follows: 38% Low AA/Low Al-Anon (patients' low AA and COs' low Al-Anon involvement, and patients' high-to-moderate substance use), 10% High AA/High Al-Anon (patients' high AA and COs' high Al-Anon involvement, and patients' moderate-to-low substance use), and 52% High AA/Low Al-Anon (patients' high AA and COs' low Al-Anon involvement, and patients' moderate-to-low substance use). At follow-up, the Low AA/Low Al-Anon classes' patients were less likely to have spirituality as recovery support, confidence about staying abstinent, and satisfaction with recovery progress. The High AA classes' COs had less concern about patients' drinking and scored higher on positive aspects of relationships with patients. CONCLUSIONS: Clinicians should encourage patients' and COs' 12-step group involvement (12-step practices' engagement). Among patients treated for AUD, AA involvement was related to better outcomes, and to COs' lessened concern about the patients' drinking. COs' Al-Anon involvement was associated with having a more positive view of their relationship with the patient. That more than one third of dyads had low 12-step group involvement suggests that treatment programs may need to facilitate involvement in non-12-step mutual-help groups.

Cancer equity for those impacted by mass incarceration.

The cancer disparities between people with incarceration histories compared with those who do not have those histories are vast. Opportunities for bolstering cancer equity among those impacted by mass incarceration exist in criminal legal system policy; carceral, community, and public health linkages; better cancer prevention, screening, and treatment services in carceral settings; expansion of health insurance; education of professionals; and use of carceral sites for health promotion and transition to community care. Clinicians, researchers, persons with a history of incarceration, carceral administrators, policy makers, and community advocates could play a cancer equity role in each of these areas. Raising awareness and setting a cancer equity plan of action are critical to reducing cancer disparities among those affected by mass incarceration.

The role of mindfulness, meditation, and peer support in recovery capital among Recovery Dharma members.

INTRODUCTION: Recovery Dharma (RD) is a Buddhist-based peer support program for the treatment of addiction that incorporates mindfulness and meditation into meetings, program literature, and the recovery process, creating the opportunity to study these variables in a peer-support program context. Mindfulness and meditation are beneficial for people in recovery, yet we know little about their relationship to recovery capital, a positive indicator of recovery outcomes. We explored mindfulness and meditation (average length of sessions and average frequency per week) as predictors of recovery capital and examined perceived support in relation to recovery capital. METHODS: The study recruited participants (N = 209) through the RD website, newsletter and social media pages for an online survey that included measures of recovery capital, mindfulness, perceived support, and questions about meditation practices (e.g., frequency, duration). Participants' mean age was 46.68 years (SD = 12.21), with 45 % female (5.7 % non-binary), and 26.8 % from the LGBTQ2S+ community. The mean time in recovery was 7.45 years (SD = 10.37). The study fitted univariate and multivariate linear regression models to determine significant predictors of recovery capital. RESULTS: As anticipated, multivariate linear regressions indicated that mindfulness (ß = 0.31, p < .001), meditation frequency (ß = 0.26, p < .001), and perceived support from RD (ß = 0.50, p < .001) were all significant predictors of recovery capital when controlling for age and spirituality. However, longer time in recovery and the average duration of meditation sessions did not predict recovery capital as anticipated. CONCLUSIONS: Results indicate the importance of a regular meditation practice for recovery capital rather than engaging in prolonged sessions infrequently. The results also support previous findings, which point to the influence of mindfulness and meditation on positive outcomes for people in recovery. Further, peer support is associated with higher recovery capital in RD members. This study is the first examination of the relationship between mindfulness, meditation, peer support, and recovery capital in recovering people. The findings lay the groundwork for the continued exploration of these variables as they relate to positive outcomes both within the RD program and in other recovery pathways.

Trajectories of depression among patients in treatment for opioid use disorder: A growth mixture model secondary analysis of the XBOT trial.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: To inform clinical practice, we identified subgroups of adults based on levels of depression symptomatology over time during opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment. METHODS: Participants were 474 adults in a 24-week treatment trial for OUD. Depression symptoms were measured using the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) at nine-time points. This was a secondary analysis of the Clinical Trials Network Extended-Release Naltrexone versus Buprenorphine for Opioid Treatment (XBOT) trial using a growth mixture model. RESULTS: Three distinct depression trajectories were identified: Class 1 High Recurring-10% with high HAM-D with initial partial reductions (of HAM-D across time), Class 2 Persistently High-5% with persistently high HAM-D, and Class 3 Low Declining-85% of the participants, with low HAM-D with early sustained reductions. The majority (low declining) had levels of depression that improved in the first 4 weeks and then stabilized across the treatment period. In contrast, 15% (high recurring and persistently high) had high initial levels that were more variable across time. The persistently high class had higher rates of opioid relapse. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: In this OUD sample, most depressive symptomatology was mild and improved after medication treatment for opioid use disorder (MOUD). Smaller subgroups had higher depressive symptoms that persisted or recurred after the initiation of MOUD. Depressive symptoms should be followed in patients initiating treatment for OUD, and when persistent, should prompt further evaluation and consideration of antidepressant treatment. SCIENTIFIC SIGNIFICANCE: This study is the first to identify three distinct depression trajectories among a large clinical sample of individuals in MOUD treatment.

The Involvement in Alcoholics Anonymous Scale - Short Form: Factor Structure & Validation.

Background: The aim of this research was to examine the psychometrics of a short form version of the multidimensional Involvement in Alcoholics Anonymous scale (IAA-SF) by assessing the factor structure, internal consistency, and predictive validity. While there are several existing measures of involvement in Alcoholics Anonymous, many are either unidimensional or are limited in their ability to gather variation in the level of involvement in the different dimensions of 12-step programs. Objective: To achieve our aim, we used exploratory and principal axis factor analysis, correlation, and logistic regression with two unique and diverse samples. Longitudinal data were collected from a northern Illinois sample of 110 post-treatment adults, and cross-sectional data were from a random sample of 296 recovery home residents in the United States. Results: Results from the first sample suggested three exploratory factors (Principles Involvement, Social Involvement, and Spiritual Involvement) that were concordant with the proposed conceptualization and were then confirmed in the second sample. A 2nd order factor of global involvement was also found. All subscales demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency and were moderately associated with AA affiliation. Global and social involvement predicted greater odds of abstinence 2 years later, but principles and spiritual involvement did not. Conclusion: Overall results suggest the IAA- SF is a valid and reliable 12-item instrument for assessing involvement in the AA program, and the differential prediction suggests potential utility for a multidimensional approach to 12-step involvement.

Non-engagement in substance use treatment among women with an unmet need for treatment: A latent class analysis on multidimensional barriers.

BACKGROUND: Women with substance use disorders experience multifaceted barriers in accessing substance use treatment. Little is known about how these barriers may aggregate. Using a person-centered approach, this study evaluates patterns of treatment barriers and the factors associated with experiencing distinct sets of barriers among women. METHODS: Data were from the NSDUH (2015-2019). 461 adult women with an unmet need for substance use treatment in the last year reported on 14 treatment barriers. Latent class analysis examined classes of barriers; multinomial logistic regression assessed predictors of class membership. RESULTS: Three classes were identified: just not ready to abstain (71.2%), logistical barriers and stigmatization (18.2%), and barriers across all dimensions (10.6%). Higher education (aOR:1.94, p = 0.03) and psychological distress (aOR:2.19, p = 0.02) predicted higher odds-and identifying as African American predicted lower odds (aOR:0.17, p = 0.02)-of belonging to the "Logistics and Stigma Barriers" class relative to the "Just Not Ready" class. Similarly, higher education (aOR: 2.57, p = 0.02) and having children (aOR:2.28, p = 0.03) predicted higher odds-and marriage predicted lower odds (aOR:0.22, p = 0.02)-of belonging to the "High and Diverse Barriers" class relative to the "Just Not Ready" class. Having children predicted higher odds (aOR: 2.93, p = .02), and marriage predicted lower odds (aOR:0.19, p = 0.02) of belonging to the "High and Diverse Barriers" class relative to the "Logistics and Stigma" class. CONCLUSION: A lack of readiness to abstain, socioeconomic circumstances, and family obligations are main barriers to SUD treatment among women. Interventions incorporating motivational interviewing, family systems, and social networks are needed.

Substance use and criminogenic thinking: Longitudinal latent class analysis of veterans with criminal histories.

INTRODUCTION: The objective of this study was to inform clinical practice by identifying distinct subgroups of US veterans with criminal histories in residential mental health treatment. The study characterized veteran patients on their alcohol and drug use and criminogenic thinking. We also examined predictors and outcomes of subgroup membership. METHODS: Participants were 341 veterans with a criminal history in residential mental health care. A parallel latent growth trajectory model characterized participants' alcohol and drug use and criminogenic thinking at treatment entry and at 6- and 12-month follow-ups. RESULTS: The study identified four distinct classes: 53 % Normative Improvement, 27 % High Criminogenic Thinking, 11 % High Recurrence (of substance use), and 9 % High Drug Use. Compared to the Normative Improvement class, prior to treatment entry, patients in the High Recurrence class were less likely to be on parole or probation, and patients in the High Criminogenic Thinking class were more likely to be chronically homeless. Compared to the Normative Improvement class, at follow-ups, patients in the High Drug Use and High Criminogenic Thinking classes were more likely to recidivate, and patients in the High Drug Use class were more likely to report unstable housing. Depression scores were higher (nearly double) in the High Drug Use, High Recurrence, and High Criminogenic Thinking classes at follow-ups compared to the Normative Improvement class. CONCLUSIONS: That the Normative Improvement class entered mental health residential treatment with relatively low alcohol and drug use and criminogenic thinking, and sustained these low levels, suggests that treatment does not need to be broadened or intensified to improve these domains for these patients with criminal histories. In contrast, findings for the High Drug Use, High Recurrence, and High Criminogenic Thinking classes, which composed 47 % of the sample, suggest that more integrated and sustained treatment may be needed to reduce recidivism, depression, and homelessness among these patients.

Social networking site use and alcohol use behaviors among adolescents: A latent profile analysis.

BACKGROUND: Adolescent exposure to alcohol-related social networking site (SNS) content is associated with their own alcohol use. However, there is a need to better understand the relationship between varying levels of adolescent SNS use and alcohol-related risks. In this study, we sought to identify distinct patterns of SNS use across multiple platforms (Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat) and to assess associations between those patterns and alcohol use outcomes. METHODS: Data were collected as part of a baseline assessment for a larger longitudinal experimental study. Participants (N = 306, age 15-20) completed measures of demographics, SNS use, and alcohol use. RESULTS: Using latent profile analysis (LPA), three SNS use profiles were empirically derived: low SNS users (27.5%), high frequency, low duration users (47.4%), and high frequency, high duration users (25.2%). Significant differences in daily drinking (F [2, 301] = 3.39, p = 0.035) and AUDIT scores (F [2, 289] = 6.15, p = 0.002) were observed for the three profiles, with members of the high frequency, high duration profile reporting significantly more weekly drinks and higher AUDIT scores when compared to the other two profiles. CONCLUSION: These findings imply that a combination of high frequency and high duration SNS use may place individuals at risk for potentially problematic drinking. Given many clinicians have limited opportunities to delve into their patients' SNS use patterns, results suggest that a simple understanding of frequency and duration of use may provide enough information to indicate who may be at risk.

Evidencing the Need to Screen for Social Determinants of Health Among Boys Entering a Juvenile Prison: A Latent Profile Analysis.

Social determinants of health influence who ends up in the juvenile legal system and how individuals fare when entering and leaving the system. The present study utilized latent profile analysis to determine the extent to which social determinants of health were present in a sample of incarcerated youth and the patterns in which they appear. The authors then examined their relationships to racial groups, depression, substance misuse, and recidivism risk. Data were from 1288 adolescent boys sentenced to a juvenile prison in one Southeastern state for serious offending (i.e., repeat offenses, offenses involving physical or sexual violence). We ran a latent class analysis to test for patterns with which youth present with various social determinants of health. Profiles with more violence exposure and higher social support were comprised of more Black boys than the referent profile. Property and sexual offenses also differed significantly from the referent profile. Altogether, results from our examination of selected social determinants of health indicated such factors meaningfully contribute to our understanding of experiences of young people in the juvenile legal system and may be targets for mental health and substance use intervention as they may contribute to problem behaviors or negative outcomes.