The Impact of Gender and Family Processes on Mental Health and Substance Use Issues in a Sample of Court-Involved Female and Male Adolescents

Greater empirical attention directed toward gender-sensitive assessment strategies that concentrate on family-specific factors is thought to be both timely and necessary, especially with regard to outcome variables associated with mental health and substance abuse in at-risk adolescent populations. A sample of 2,646 court-involved adolescents was used to test two competing models regarding relationships among disruptive family processes, mental health (as both internalizing and externalizing problems), and substance abuse issues according to gender. The results of multiple group structural equation modeling procedures indicated that disrupted family processes were significantly associated with higher levels of internalizing problems, externalizing problems, and substance abuse in both male and female youth. For females, however, disrupted family processes were more related to internalizing problems and substance abuse than externalizing problems. Further, the relationship between disrupted family processes and substance abuse was not mediated by mental health issues, indicating a lack of support for the alternative model tested in this study. Together, the findings underscore the primacy of the family’s impact on issues related to adolescent development and well-being in tandem with the need for a more gender sensitive approach to the needs of court-involved males and females.

Stephen M. GavazziEmail:

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Stephen M. Gavazzi   is a Professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Science, and is Co-Director of the Center for Family Research at The Ohio State University. He received his Ph.D. in Family Science from the University of Connecticut. His major research interests include identifying the impact of family dynamics on youth development, psychopathology, and problem behavior. Ji-Young Lim   is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Family Studies and Social Work at Miami University of Ohio. She received her Ph.D. in Family Science from The Ohio State University. Her major research interests include gender and ethnic differences in risks and needs among court-involved youth, parent–adolescent relationships across cultures, and the influence of neighborhood settings on peer and family risks among juvenile delinquents. Courtney M. Yarcheck   is the Program Director at The Ohio State University Center for Family Research. She received her M.S. in Family Science from The Ohio State University. Her major research interests include gender-specific issues in the assessment of court-involved youth and the use of the Internet in training juvenile justice professionals. Jennifer M. Bostic   is the Program Manager at The Ohio State University Center for Family Research. She received her M.S. in Counselor Education from The Ohio State University. Her major research interests include the impact of gender and race on the mental health of court-involved youth. Scott D. Scheer   is an Associate Professor and State Extension Specialist in the Department of Human and Community Resource Development, and is Co-Director of the Center for Family Research at The Ohio State University. He received his Ph.D. in Family Studies from the University of Delaware. His research interests focus on the protective and risk factors of positive youth development, which include family, youth programs, substance use, and emotional intelligence.