NCJ Number
242305
Date Published
June 2006
Length
6 pages
Annotation
Results are summarized from the most comprehensive mental health prevalence study to date on youth involved with the juvenile justice system.
Abstract
The study confirms the high rates of mental health disorders found by other recent studies. This suggests that, regardless of geographic area or type of juvenile justice facility, the vast majority (65 percent to 70 percent) of youth involved with the juvenile justice system have at least one diagnosable mental health disorder. Just over 60 percent of youth met criteria for three or more diagnoses. Girls are at significantly higher risk (80 percent) than boys (67 percent) for a mental health disorder, with girls manifesting higher rates of internalizing disorders than boys. Substance use continues to be a major problem for many youth in the juvenile justice system, with 60.8 percent of youth with a mental health diagnosis also meeting criteria for a substance-use disorder. Data were collected on youth in three States - Louisiana, Texas, and Washington - selected to represent under-studied areas. In each State, data were collected on youth from three juvenile justice settings: community-based programs, detention centers, and secure residential facilities. Data were collected on just over 1,400 youth from 29 programs and facilities. In addition, girls and certain minority youth were over-sampled in an effort to improve the knowledge base regarding these under-studied populations. The study was conducted by the National Center for Mental Health and Juvenile Justice in collaboration with the Council of Juvenile Correctional Administrators. 1 table, 2 figures, and 11 references