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Youth Mental Well-Being Following Witnessed Police Stops

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Abstract

The purpose of the present study is to investigate mental well-being among youth after witnessing police stops. A national, urban-born sample of youth in the USA from the most recent wave (2014–2017) of the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS) was employed, with a focus on youth who had not been directly stopped by police (N = 2506). We used t-tests and multivariable ordinary least squares (OLS) regression to estimate direct associations, product-term analysis to test for effect modification by gender and race/ethnicity, and the Karlson-Holm-Breen (KHB) method to assess for mediation by experiences of emotional distress during a stop. Findings indicate that youth who have witnessed police stops report significantly higher levels of depression (t = 5.93, p < 0.01) and anxiety (t = 6.57, p < 0.01) and lower levels of happiness (t =  − 4.02, p < 0.01) following the stop than those who have not. Among youth witnessing stops (N = 1488), more intrusive witnessed encounters correspond to diminished mental well-being across indicators, in part due to elevated emotional distress during witnessed stops. Findings hold regardless of gender, yet vary somewhat by race and ethnicity, with youth of color reporting less anxiety than their White counterparts after witnessing an intrusive stop, but reporting greater reductions in happiness. Collectively, our findings suggest that witnessing police stops may contribute to inequities in youth mental well-being. A public health approach that combines prevention and treatment strategies may mitigate the harms of police exposure and reduce disparities in youth well-being.

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Funding

Funding for the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study was provided by the NICHD through grants R01HD36916, R01HD39135, and R01HD40421, as well as a consortium of private foundations (see http://www.fragilefamilies.princeton.edu/funders.asp for the complete list).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Population, Family, and Reproductive Health, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Dylan B. Jackson

  2. Department of Management, Policy and Community Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA

    Alexander Testa

  3. Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminal Justice, Rutgers University, Camden, NJ, USA

    Daniel C. Semenza

  4. Department of Mental Health, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Rebecca L. Fix

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  1. Dylan B. Jackson
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Correspondence to Dylan B. Jackson.

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Jackson, D.B., Testa, A., Semenza, D.C. et al. Youth Mental Well-Being Following Witnessed Police Stops. J Urban Health 99, 783–793 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11524-022-00667-x

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