Mental Health Disorders in Juvenile Justice

Mental Health Disorders in Juvenile Justice

Mental Health Disorders in Juvenile Justice

This section presents frequently seen psychiatric disorders in youth who are detained in the juvenile justice system. A discussion on comorbidity is also presented.
With a 50% prevalence rate of mental health problems of youth in the juvenile justice system (Cocozza & Skowrya, 2000; Teplin, et al, 2002), psychiatric diagnoses are useful for appropriate care (Boesky, 2002). Some common diagnostic classifications in youthful offenders and examples of the disorders (in parentheses) include anxiety disorders (panic, generalized anxiety); affective disorders (major depression, bipolar disorder); disruptive behavior disorders (conduct disorder, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder); and post traumatic stress disorder (Boesky, 2002; Shelton, 2001; Teplin, et al, 2002). Others include substance abuse and psychotic disorders. While the incidence of schizophrenic spectrum disorders is similar to the general population of 1% to 2%, the fact that the rate is higher among serious juvenile delinquents (Timmons-Mitchell, et al, 1997) suggests that these youth are detained in juvenile justice rather than in the mental health system. Several common subgroups of mental health disorders are selected for discussion because of their frequency with which they are seen in juvenile justice.

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HOPING FOR A BETTER LIFE: A MENTAL HEALTH PROCESS
VOICED BY YOUTHFUL OFFENDERS
By
Carol Elizabeth Bonham