Perceived Discrimination, Adult Attachment, and Mental Health Symptoms in Formerly Incarcerated Women

Abstract

Incarcerated women suffer numerous mental health problems, self-reporting high rates of anxiety, depression, and personality problems. Additionally, since individual differences in attachment are associated with various mental health outcomes, attachment becomes a salient construct for understanding psychopathology among formerly incarcerated populations. Many racial and ethnic minoritized groups are disproportionately represented in the U.S. criminal justice system, and in the U.S., both overt and covert, everyday forms of racial/ethnic discrimination towards minoritized groups have been related to negative mental health outcomes. In the service of understanding and reducing mental health problems for at-risk youth, it is imperative to understand variables that are associated with psychopathology in incarcerated mothers. This study aims to (1) evaluate the association between perceived ethnic discrimination and mental health problems in formerly incarcerated mothers; (2) analyze the moderating effects of self-reported attachment style on the relation between perceived discrimination and mental health outcomes. N = 95 formerly incarcerated mothers completed self-report measures of psychological symptoms and severity (SCL-R-90), attachment security (RQ), and different dimensions of perceived ethnic discrimination (PEDQ-CVB). Results indicate that individuals at high levels of fearful attachment have a stronger relationship between discrimination and psychopathology than individuals at low levels. Findings could contribute to the development of attachment-based interventions that address an individual's negative perception of self and/or others. Specifically, interventions should be designed in the context of incarcerated or formerly incarcerated environments, for mothers, in which to date results and applications are scarce.Psychology, Department ofHonors Colleg