The U.S. Department of Justice estimates that there were 2.8 million juvenile arrests in 1997, and more than 108,000 youth are in custody in juvenile facilities. The literature suggests that many juvenile detainees have psychiatric disorders, including comorbidity. However, there are few empirical data.
This study examines psychiatric disorders -- focusing especially on comorbid mental disorders and substance abuse/dependence – among 1829 randomly selected juvenile detainees, 1172 males, 657 females, ages 10-18 years old. Over two-thirds of the subjects had one or more psychiatric disorders. Females had higher rates than males. Rates of depression are higher among females (22%) than males (13%); Nearly 50% of the sample has a DSM-IIIR diagnosis of substance abuse or dependence. The most commonly abused drug was marijuana. This finding is especially alarming because most of these youth are quite young, and marijuana is often an entry drug among heavy users.
We will present rates and patterns of psychiatric comorbidity in two ways. (Analyses are still in progress.) First, we will present the rates of substance abuse/dependence among youth with mental disorders. We will then show the patterns of mental disorders among youth with substance abuse/dependence. These findings have profound implications for services provided within the juvenile justice system and the community.
Learning Objectives: Learning objectives: 1. To understand risk factors for and prevalence of psychiatric disorders among delinquent youth and ascertain how the public health system can best respond to their needs. 2. To identify the most common patterns of comorbidity and how they affect functional impairment.
Keywords: Child/Adolescent Mental Health, Correctional Institutions
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.