From Risk to Resilience: Supportive Relationships Protect Sleep and Mental Health in Youth with Incarcerated Parents

• In Event: Parental Incarceration and Collateral Consequences

Abstract

More than five million U.S. children have experienced parental incarceration, a pressing pediatric health issue contributing to disrupted sleep and mental health concerns among youth. Supportive relationships with parents, relatives, teachers, and friends may buffer these risks, but research on their protective roles remains limited. To address this, this study analyzes data from the 2022 Minnesota Student Survey (n=85,157). Students (ages 12–19) self-reported parental incarceration history, sleep duration, and anxiety/depression symptoms, as well as care from parents, relatives, friends, and teachers. Logistic regression models assessed associations between supportive relationships and health outcomes. Results suggest that youth with incarcerated parents reported higher rates of poor sleep (75.5% formerly, 72.9% currently vs. 61.8% never), anxiety (50.5% currently, 46.0% formerly vs. 29.4% never), and depression (48.8% currently, 42.7% formerly vs. 24.8% never). Parental care showed the largest associations in lowering odds of poor sleep (aOR=0.65), anxiety (aOR=0.74), and depression (aOR=0.55), followed by significantly lower odds with support from relatives, teachers, and friends. These findings emphasize that strengthening relationships may be a key strategy for reducing health disparities among youth with incarcerated parents, underscoring the need for interventions and policies that enhance and engage social support networks.

Authors

• Luke Muentner, RTI International

• Nicole Jasperson, RTI International

• Rebecca Shlafer, University of Minnesota