Prevalence and correlates of police contact amongst youth with bipolar disorder

•There is a dearth of literature on the prevalence and correlates of police contact among youth with BD.•36% of youth with BD had encountered police contact, compared to 3% of psychiatrically healthy adolescents.•Major reasons for police contact included shoplifting/theft (20%), threat to self for suicidal or self-harm reasons (16%), running away/truancy (10%), and drug charges (10%).•The most robust correlates of police contact were age of onset of BD, living with both natural parents, comorbid substance use disorder and conduct disorder, and psychiatric hospitalization. While multiple studies have examined prevalence and correlates of police contact in adults with bipolar disorder (BD), literature on this topic in youth is sparse. We therefore examined the prevalence and correlates of police contact amongst youth with BD. The study included 197 youth with BD and 127 healthy controls, ages 14–20 years. Semi-structured interviews were used to determine diagnoses, treatment and police contact. The Life Problems Inventory examined self-reported trait impulsivity and emotional dysregulation. Analyses examined demographic and clinical variables among youth with versus without lifetime police contact. Variables that were associated with police contact at p