The associations between social determinants of health, mental health, substance-use and recidivism: a ten-year retrospective cohort analysis of women who completed the connections programme in Australia

Substance-use was associated with increased odds of recidivism. Poor mental health, ongoing social support, child-custody, financial and housing needs were individually associated with increased odds of substance-use. Mediation analysis found mental health fully mediated the effects of ongoing housing, financial, and social support needs onto substance-use, and partially mediated the effects of domestic violence onto substance-use.