The Impact of Multi-System Involvement on Caregiver Attachment, Psychological Distress, and Non-Medical Drug Use Trajectory Among Emerging Adults

Background and Purpose: Young adults with histories of system involvement, specifically child welfare (CW), juvenile justice (JJ), or dual-system contact, may face greater structural barriers and adverse health outcomes while they transition to adulthood. However, less is known about how early system contact shapes the transition to adulthood by stressing the family support system. Guided by general strain theory, this study examines how system involvement impacts relational bonds with biological parents, subsequently driving psychological distress and non-medical drug use among emerging adults. Moreover, this study explores whether these pathways vary by gender.

Methods: This study utilized the Wave 7 of the Future of Families & Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS) with 2,867 young adults (M = 22.29, SD = 0.55) as the analytic sample. The model was developed with three intercorrelated system involvement (CW system only, JJ system only, and both) as independent variables, followed by emotional closeness with biological mother and father as the first set of mediators, anxiety and depression as the second set of mediators, and non-medical drug use as the outcome. The specific paths include 1) CW system, JJ system, and dual system involvement to emotional closeness to biological mother and father, 2) emotional closeness with biological parents to anxiety and depression, and 3) anxiety and depression to non-medical drug use. A sequential mediation path analysis was conducted with maximum likelihood of missing values and a multi-group analysis was performed by gender (Male = 1,377; Female = 1,490).

Results: The overall model showed that CW system, JJ involvement, and dual system involvement were negatively associated with emotional closeness with biological mother (CW: b = -0.20, p<.001; JJ: b = -0.04, p<.01; Dual: b = -0.06, p<.001) and biological father (CW: b = -0.10, p<.001; JJ: b = -0.06, p<.01; Dual: b = -0.07, p<.001). Being emotionally close to the biological parents lowered the risk of anxiety (Mom: b = -0.11, p<.001; Dad: b = -0.08, p<.001) and depression (Mom: b = -0.15, p<.001; Dad: b = -0.10, p<.001). Meanwhile, anxiety (b = 0.11, p<.001) and depression (b = 0.14, p<.001) was positively related to higher likelihood of non-medical drug use among young adults. Additionally, all system involvement was positively associated with non-medical drug use. The multi-group analysis revealed that the paths connecting juvenile justice system and dual system involvement to emotional closeness with the biological mother were not significant for males, while dual system involvement to emotional closeness with the biological father was not significant for females. Further, significant indirect effects of emotional closeness with biological parents, depression, and anxiety were confirmed in all models.

Conclusions and Implications: Findings suggest system involvement functions as a structural strain that weakens family bonds, heightens psychological distress, and leads to maladaptive coping through drug use. This developmental cascade implies an urgent need for intentional, systematic approaches to preserve caregiver-child relationships during system contact. Interventions should focus on maintaining the social capital and family support necessary for healthy emotional regulation and coping strategies in the long-term.