Longitudinal associations among depression, substance abuse, and crime: A test of competing hypotheses for driving mechanisms

Purpose: Crime, depression, and substance abuse, often co-occur. This study examined competing models considering each problem domain individually as a driving mechanism for the other problems to better understand etiology and inform prevention efforts. Gender differences were also examined.

Methods: Data were drawn from the Seattle Social Development Project, a multiethnic and gender-balanced urban panel of 808 participants constituted in 1985. Cross- lagged models examined prospective assessments of early (grades 7 & 8) and late (grades 9-12) adolescent internalizing problems, substance use, and delinquency, as well as measures of depression, substance dependence, and crime at early adulthood (ages 21-24) and later adulthood (ages 27-30).

Results: Comparisons of nested models by gender showed (a) continuity in internalizing behaviors/depression, substance use/dependence, and delinquency/crime for both women and men; (b) accounting for continuity, depression did not consistently drive other problems for either women or men; (c) among women, both substance abuse and crime appeared to be important driving mechanisms; and (d) among men, crime emerged as the most pertinent driving mechanism.

Conclusion: Findings suggest that externalizing problems may be more important driving mechanisms for depression than vice versa. Preventing crime and substance abuse may have the important added benefit of reducing early adult depression.