Psychiatric Disorders in Youth After Detention

• NCJ Number: 246824
• Date Published: September 2015
• Author(s): Linda A. Teplin, Leah J. Welty, Karen M. Abram, Mina K. Dulcan, Jason J. Washburn, Kathleen McCoy, and Marquita L. Stokes
• Publication Series: OJJDP Beyond Detention Series
• Award: Assessing ADM Disorders Among Juvenile Detainees; Assessing ADM Disorder Among Juvenile Detainees; ASSESSING ADM DISORDERS AMONG JUVENILE DETAINEES

Annotation

This bulletin presents findings of the Northwestern Juvenile Project, which is a longitudinal study of youth detained at the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center in Chicago,. IL, with attention to the prevalence and persistence of youths’ psychiatric disorders after detention.

Abstract

The study found that 5 years after the first interview, approximately 45 percent of male juveniles and nearly 30 percent of female juveniles had one or more psychiatric disorders. Disorders related to substance abuse were the most common and most likely to persist. Males had a higher prevalence rate of substance-use disorders over time. Compared to African-Americans, non-Hispanic Whites and Hispanics had higher rates of substance-use disorders. Females had higher rates of depression over time. Disruptive behavior disorders were also among the most common disorders. For many delinquent youth, especially males, externalizing disorders were not limited to adolescence, as they often continued into adulthood. The study involved 1,829 youth ages 10-18, who were arrested and detained between November 20, 1995, and June 14, 1998. The random sample was stratified by gender, race/ethnicity, age, and legal status. Researchers used the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children, version 2.3, which assesses the presence of disorders in the past 6 months. 2 figures, 5 tables, and 96 references