Physical and Mental Health Disparities for Young Women with Arrest Histories

Young women ages 18 to 25 make up approximately 30 percent of women arrested in the United States. Although health disparities have been found for incarcerated adults, health concerns for this subpopulation of women have not been as closely examined. Aiming to fill this gap in the literature, this study examined national data for young women ages 18 to 25 who participated in the National Survey of Drug Use and Health. Physical and mental health concerns were compared for young women with and without arrest histories. Young women with arrest histories had significantly higher odds ratios of multiple physical health concerns and all forms of mental health concerns, including recent suicide attempts. This study indicates that history of arrest is significantly associated with health disparities for young women and thus expands and builds gender-specific knowledge for the field of criminal justice epidemiology. Given the intersecting needs of physical health, mental health, and criminal justice involvement, the fields of public health and social work may contribute to gender-responsive interventions that incorporate health promotion specifically for this population of women.