# Trauma Exposure as a “Driver” of Change in Mental Health Problems Among Youth with Multiple Admissions to Juvenile Detention

## TL;DR

This study shows that repeated trauma exposure worsens mental health in youth with multiple juvenile detention admissions, especially for girls and White youth.

## Contribution

The study identifies trauma exposure as a driver of worsening mental health in recidivist youth over time.

## Key findings

- Increases in trauma exposure correlate with higher levels of anger, depression, and suicidal ideation across repeat admissions.
- Mental health problems followed a quadratic trajectory for most outcomes, peaking at mid-levels of detention admissions.
- Girls and White youth consistently showed higher rates of mental health problems across all study waves.

## Abstract

Although trauma exposure (TE) has been shown to be a robust predictor of youth involvement in the juvenile justice system, evidence regarding the role of TE amongst youth who recidivate has been more mixed. Recidivist youth are a population of particular concern, given evidence of declining mental health and diminished likelihood of returning to an adaptive developmental course. One way in which TE may contribute to these negative outcomes over time is through potentiating or “driving” mental health problems, which are especially prevalent among trauma-exposed youth in the justice system. To examine this hypothesis, longitudinal data were obtained over a 10-year period from a sample of 5615 juvenile justice-involved youth (1499 girls and 4116 boys) who completed a mental health screening at each admission to detention. Results of analyses assessing the associations among trauma exposure, linear and quadratic time, and mental health problems were consistent with the hypothesis that increases in TE were associated with increasing anger/irritability, depression/anxiety, somatic complaints, and suicidal ideation across repeat admissions. With the exception of alcohol/drug use, all mental health outcomes followed a quadratic trajectory over the course of multiple admissions. Rates of mental health problems were consistently highest for girls and White youth across all waves. These results add to our understanding of the role of trauma in mental health problems among persistent offenders and may help to inform interventions designed to reduce youth contact with the potentially iatrogenic effects of justice system involvement.