Variation in Criminogenic Risks by Mental Health Symptom Severity: Implications for Mental Health Services and Research
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Variation in Criminogenic Risks by Mental Health Symptom Severity: Implications for Mental Health Services and Research Tonya B. Van Deinse 1 & Gary S. Cuddeback 2 & Amy Blank Wilson 1 & Daniel Edwards Jr 3 & Michael Lambert 1 # Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2020
Abstract
Although a growing body of literature has demonstrated that justice-involved people with mental illnesses have criminogenic risk factors at similar or elevated rates as compared to justice-involved people without mental illnesses, more information about how criminogenic risks vary by intensity of mental health symptoms is needed. This information is particularly important for probation agencies who supervise the vast majority of justice-involved individuals with mental illnesses and who are increasingly implementing specialty mental health supervision approaches. To this end, this study examines the relationship between criminogenic risk and intensity of self-reported symptoms of mental illnesses among 201,905 individuals on probation from a large southeastern state. Self-report measures of symptoms of mental illnesses were categorized as low, moderate or high and criminogenic risks were compared among the following three groups: (1) those with no or low selfreported symptoms of mental illness; (2) those reporting moderate levels of symptoms; and (3) those reporting high or elevated levels of symptoms. Our findings suggest that the strength of relationships between symptoms of mental illnesses and criminogenic risks varies by type of criminogenic risk. Also, elevated symptoms of mental illness are associated with higher levels of criminogenic risks. More research about interventions that address mental illnesses and criminogenic risks is needed to inform practice and policy. Keywords Mental health symptoms . Mental health services . Criminogenic risks . Probation At the end of 2016, nearly 70% of the adult correctional population in the United States was under community supervision (i.e., probation or parole), which amounts to more than 4.5 million individuals [1]. Among those under community supervision, an estimated 16%–27% – between 720,000 and 1,215,000 adults – have a mental illness or mental health condition [2–5]. Individuals on probation who have mental illnesses often have high rates of probation
* Tonya B. Van Deinse [email protected] Extended author information available on the last page of the article
Psychiatric Quarterly
violations and revocations and low mental health service adherence rates, which presents significant challenges for state and local criminal justice authorities tasked with enforcing the terms of supervision and ensuring public safety [6–10]. To reduce probation violations and enhance treatment engagement among individuals on probation with mental illnesses, probation agencies need specialized approaches that consider the unique needs and risk factors among individuals with mental illnesses on probation. Over the last two decades, probation agencies have tailored supervision stra
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