The Prospective Impact of Perceived Social Support Profiles on Mental Health for Justice-Involved Youth

Qualitative research highlights the importance of perceived social support for well-being in juvenile justice-involved youth, but to date, little quantitative research has tested the generalizability of these findings. We sought to address this gap by utilizing a person-centered approach to articulate (a) common interpersonal profiles in justice-involved youth, (b) their relation to prospective well-being, and (c) the impact of identity and placement on the relation between support profiles and psychopathology over time. At baseline, 1,354 adjudicated adolescents (Age_M = 16.04 years; 86.4% male; 41.4% non-Hispanic Black) completed self-report measures for perceived support from parents and friends. Respondents additionally completed measures of depression, anxiety, aggression, and suicidal ideation across 11 waves spanning 7 years. Latent profile analyses identified five support profiles: Isolated, Conflicting Support, High Parent Support, Low Parent Support, and Moderate Support. Latent growth curve modeling suggested that Low Parent Support youth were at increased risk for all outcomes, while High Parent Support adolescents experienced reduced anxiety and aggression. Disparities existed across gender and race/ethnicity in profile composition, and placement moderated our findings. These findings suggest that interpersonal or familial-based preventive-interventions may be vital for reducing the elevated rates of internalizing and externalizing psychopathology in justice-involved youth.