Prevalence of psychiatric disorders, comorbidity patterns, and repeat offending among male juvenile detainees in South Korea: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

BackgroundHigh rates of psychiatric disorders and comorbidities have been reported in juvenile detainees, and both phenomena are thought to contribute to repeat offending. However, research on this topic has been limited in Asian countries, like South Korea. The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of psychiatric disorders, comorbidity patterns, and the relationship between psychiatric disorders and repeat offending among a cross-section of youths detained in a male juvenile detention center in South Korea.MethodsOne hundred seventy-three juvenile detainees were recruited. The distribution of psychiatric disorders within the sample was estimated by applying criteria from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV. Logistic regression was used to assess significant comorbidity patterns and relationships between psychiatric disorders and repeat offending.ResultsIn all, 90.8% of the detainees had at least one psychiatric diagnosis, and 75.1% had psychiatric comorbidities. The most common psychiatric disorder was alcohol use disorder, followed by conduct disorder and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Among the comorbidities present, alcohol use disorder with disruptive behavior disorder was the most common combination. The presence of two psychiatric disorders was associated with a higher rate of recidivism, and alcohol use disorder was also associated with repeat offending when combined with disruptive behavior disorders, but not with anxiety disorders, major depression, or psychotic disorders.ConclusionsJuvenile detainees evidence high rates of psychiatric disorders and comorbidities. Assessment of and intervention in psychiatric disorders, especially alcohol use disorder and comorbid alcohol use disorder with disruptive behavior disorders, may help prevent further offenses.

Psychiatric evaluation of juvenile delinquents under probation in the context of recidivism

“…The studies showed that prevalence of psychiatric disorders in delinquent juveniles varies from 40% to 90%, and the prevalence depends on where the selected sample stands at various point of the justice system (detention, prison, etc.) [5,[8][9][10][11]45]. Similar to our findings, the prevalence of psychiatric disorders in juveniles was found to be accounted approximately half of the samples in the probation-based studies [46,47], however, these juveniles have fewer psychiatric admissions [48,49].…”

“…The most common diagnoses in our study were ADHD, depressive mood disorder, and anxiety disorders in congruence with previous studies [13,49] when remission from substance use disorder was excluded. Almost all juveniles in our study had relatively minor offences such as substance-related offence, which may result in lower rate of CD compared to previous studies [8,10,16]. The relation between depression and delinquency appears to be controversial in the literature.…”

“…It is known that mental health problems are observed far more frequently among delinquent juveniles than in general population. The rate at which delinquent juveniles diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder reaches up to 90%, and about half of these juveniles are diagnosed with more than one psychiatric disorder, while the rate of psychiatric disorders varies from 10% to 20% in general adolescent population [4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11]. The most frequently diagnosed psychiatric disorders among delinquent juveniles include substance use disorder (SUD), conduct disorder (CD), ADHD, and mental retardation [6,7,10,12,13].…”

“…The rate at which delinquent juveniles diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder reaches up to 90%, and about half of these juveniles are diagnosed with more than one psychiatric disorder, while the rate of psychiatric disorders varies from 10% to 20% in general adolescent population [4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11]. The most frequently diagnosed psychiatric disorders among delinquent juveniles include substance use disorder (SUD), conduct disorder (CD), ADHD, and mental retardation [6,7,10,12,13]. From the other side of the frame, various studies show that adolescents had a diagnosis of at least one psychiatric disorder exhibit higher levels of problematic behaviour such as reckless driving, unprotected sex and substance abuse, a higher risk of police arrest, a higher rate of criminal involvement, and a longer duration of penalty [5,6,14,15].…”

An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-regression Analysis: Mental Disorders Among Adolescents in Juvenile Detention and Correctional Facilities

“…12,19,21,27,[32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47][48][49] We combined them with the 25 surveys identified in the previous review. 28, Two studies 12,69 were based on the same sample, which provided 12,28,40,42,[50][51][52][53]57,[59][60][61]63,66,68,69,72,73 ; six were from the United Kingdom (n ¼ 1,145) 27,44,54,55,62,64 ; three were from Canada (n ¼ 408) 37,<...>…”