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Abstract
Rates of mental health disorders, substance use disorders, and their co-occurrence are disproportionately higher among adults in the criminal justice system than among those in the general population. This dissertation presents three studies related to mental health, substance use, and co-occurring disorders among justice-involved adults around community reentry. The first study examines developmental trajectories of depressive symptoms from young adulthood to mid-life among men and women with early justice involvement. Findings from the first study suggest that levels of depressive symptoms increase linearly over time among this group and that justice-involved women have unique experiences of depression across time. The second study identifies predictors of positive problem-focused coping strategies among incarcerated adults with co-occurring disorders preparing for reentry. Results from the second study revealed that personal, material, and social coping resources, particularly perceptions of overall health, emotional well-being, higher income, and stronger relationship depth predicted elevated levels of problem-focused coping. The third study establishes latent profiles of service utilization among returning citizens and examines longitudinal associations of service use patterns with psychological distress. The results of the third study indicate that different patterns of service use exist among reentering adults and those who report using more services show steeper declines in psychological distress over time. Each study comprises its own chapter and discusses implications for future research. This dissertation concludes with a final chapter that summarizes findings and provides implications for social work research and practice.