Examining the timing of mental health contacts across female offending trajectories.

Background: There is a strong relationship between mental health and female offending, but few studies use longitudinal data to capture the differences in mental health service contact and diagnoses across diverse female offending trajectories. Most studies focus on broad trends, often overlooking how mental health contacts and diagnoses differentially unfold across female offending trajectories. We address this gap by utilising state-wide, linked administrative data for all females registered as born in Queensland (Australia) in 1983 and 1984 to examine the prevalence, timing, and frequency of mental health service contact and diagnoses across distinct female offending trajectories, including comparisons with non-offending females.

Results: Females with serious and persistent offending patterns were more likely to have contact with mental health services and receive earlier and more frequent mental health diagnoses than those with low or non-offending patterns. Additionally, females with adult-onset offending patterns were more likely than any other group to contact mental health services before their first recorded offence. Despite a decrease in mental health-related hospital admissions by late adolescence, all offending groups experienced a rise in community mental health contacts as they transitioned into adulthood.

Conclusions: This study expands existing evidence by providing insight into the relationship between mental health and female offending trajectories. Our study also provides important implications for policy and practice to improve the mental health and well-being of females involved in the justice system.