Prevalence of Mental Health Problems and Service Use Among First-Time Juvenile Offenders

Abstract

It is known that youth engaged in the juvenile justice system show high rates of psychiatric disorders. However, little is known about the course of those disorders over time, or about mental health service use on the part of children and families during justice system involvement. Boys and girls recruited from their first contact with juvenile court (n=75), at a mean age of 13.6 years, completed three waves of interviews, each consisting of a structured clinical interview and questionnaires regarding service use, family functioning, parental burden, parental psychopathology. High rates of psychiatric disorders were evident. Three quarters (n = 56) met criteria for a mood, anxiety or behavioral disorder by parent or child report. Despite the high prevalence of mental health concerns, relatively few youth (approximately 20%) were involved in mental health services in follow-up waves. The presence of ODD and higher levels of family communication problems were associated with involvement in mental health services. Although parents experienced burden associated with their child's mental health problems, burden was not a strong correlate of help-seeking. Mental health problems declined from the point of initial involvement with juvenile justice; only ODD symptoms showed stability over time. Low rates of engagement in mental health services are found for juveniles subsequent to their first contact with juvenile justice. ODD and family communication problems most influenced service engagement, while burden due to mental health problems did not. The results provide potential targets for efforts to enhance parental motivation towards service engagement.

Mental health problems in male young offenders in custodial versus community based-programs: implications for juvenile justice interventions

“…Regular forensic settings act mainly as controlling environments aimed primarily at security [36], not assessing nor addressing properly the mental health intervention needs of young offenders [17, 26]. As some authors emphasized [17], forensic mental health services that simultaneously assess and meet mental health and security needs of delinquent youth are essential, particularly for those with severe forms of psychopathology.…”

“…In a recent study, Burke et al [26] found that relatively few youth (approximately 20 %) were in contact with mental health services. This is especially relevant, since it is well established that antisocial individuals tend to have a better response to treatment in early developmental stages, such as adolescence [27, 28].…”

A Methylome‐Wide Association Study of Trajectories of Oppositional Defiant Behaviors and Biological Overlap With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

“…Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) is defined by the ICD (WHO, ) and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ( DSM ; American Psychiatric Association, ) as a recurrent pattern of defiant, disobedient, and hostile behavior beginning in childhood or adolescence. Together with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and conduct disorder, ODD is one of the leading reasons for referral and continued involvement in youth services (Burke, Mulvey, & Schubert, ). The worldwide lifetime prevalence rate of ODD is 10% and among those with ODD, the majority meet criteria for at least one other concurrent psychiatric diagnosis, including both internalizing (depression, anxiety) and externalizing (ADHD, conduct disorder, substance use) problems (Nock, Kazdin, Hiripi, & Kessler, ).…”

Using Sand Tray Therapy With Juveniles in Correctional Settings

“…More than 50,000 youth categorized as juvenile offenders were detained in private or public facilities in 2013 and 2014 in the United States (Hockenberry, Wachter, & Sladky, ; Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, 2017). A majority of these youth have mental health diagnoses or needs (Burke, Mulvey, & Schubert, ; Lyons, Baerger, Quigley, Elrich, & Griffin, ; Shuflet & Cocozza, ), and correctional facilities provide treatment and rehabilitative services for youth and their families. For provision of these services, a necessary first step includes identification of mental health needs through evaluation.…”