Abstract citation ID: kaae014.1319
 
POSTER SESSION E: THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN FAMILIAL INCARCERATION, DEVELOPMENTAL ASSETS, AND MENTAL HEALTH AMONG DIVERSE ADOLESCENTS
 
Maria Guevara, MPH , Eric Shanazari, CHES , Abnous Shahverdi, n/a , Christopher J. Rogers, PhD, MPH , Jennifer B. Unger, PhD , Myriam Forster, PhD, MPH.
 
1 HSCI CSUN, Canoga Park, CA;  California State University, Northridge, Sun Valley, CA; California State University, Northridge, Woodland Hills, CA; California State University, Northridge, Northridge, CA;  University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA; 6California State University, Northridge, Santa Monica, CA.
 
Introduction: Familial incarceration (FI) is an adverse childhood experience that can challenge positive adaptation. The impact of this social determinant of health remains understudied despite affecting millions of adolescents. Conversely, developmental assets (DAs: e.g., social support, empowerment, engagement, expectations) are indices of stage salient competencies that facilitate thriving. We investigated the association between FI and adolescent depression, suicidal ideation (SI), and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and whether DAs mitigated the consequences of FI for depression, SI, and NSSI.
 
Methods: Data are (N=893) baseline survey responses from diverse rural and urban adolescents across four states enrolled in a longitudinal study investigating mental and behavioral health outcomes. We used GLMs to test hypothesized associations between FI and depression, SI, and NSSI and whether DAs (standardized scores of 4 development asset domains) moderated the relationship between FI and depression, SI and NSSI, adjusting for age, sex, ethnicity, depression, and state.
 
Results: On average adolescents were 14.88 years old, 58% were female, and approximately 25% reported FI. The sample was 25% African American, 23% Hispanic, 25% Asian/Pacific Islander and 27% Non-Hispanic White. Over 40% of the sample acknowledged moderate to severe depression, 23% reported SI, and 21% were engaged in past year NSSI. Compared to their peers with no FI, youth experiencing FI had higher odds of depression (AOR: 2.45, 95% CI: 1.96- 3.10), SI (AOR 2.91, 95% CI: 2.34-4.01), or NSSI (AOR 4.31, 95% CI: 3.75-5.98). However, DAs offset the negative effects of FI for depression, SI, and NSSI; youth experiencing FI who had DA scores one to two standard deviations above the sample mean had lower odds of depression, SI, and NSSI than their peers with no history of FI (ps < .01).
 
Conclusion: Our results highlight the impact of familial incarceration, predominantly for youth of color and youth living in low-income communities, on adolescent mental health. Investing in school climates and prevention programs that foster developmental competencies may be a promising approach to enhancing resilience and adaptive coping among vulnerable youth populations. Implications for school-based prevention and intervention research are discussed.
 
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR: Maria Guevara, MPH, HSCI CSUN, Canoga Park, CA; maria.guevara.397@my.csun.edu.