NCJ Number
193920
Journal
Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Volume: 41 Issue: 3 Dated: March 2002 Pages: 314-321
Date Published
March 2002
Length
8 pages
Annotation
The objectives of this study were to conduct an accurate assessment of the rate of psychiatric disorder in incarcerated juveniles and to determine the feasibility of using a self-administered, comprehensive, structured psychiatric assessment with these youths.
Abstract
Study subjects were 292 male juveniles admitted in 1999-2000 to secure placement with New Jersey and Illinois juvenile justice authorities. These juveniles provided self-assessments through the Voice Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children-IV, a comprehensive, computerized diagnostic instrument that presents questions via headphones. The study found that the assessments were well tolerated by youths, staff, and parents. Rates of psychiatric disorder were comparable to prior diagnostic assessment studies with interviewers. In addition to expected high rates of disruptive and substance use disorders, the juveniles reported high levels of anxiety and mood disorders, with over 3 percent reporting a past-month suicide attempt. Youths with substance use disorder were significantly more likely to be incarcerated for drug offenses than were youths with no disorder or those with other, non-drug use disorders. Although the study identified rates of psychiatric disorder generally comparable to those of previous investigations, some differences were apparent; this is to be expected in the context of measurement variations. Mental health assessments for juveniles in the justice system should include a comprehensive self-report instrument, pooling across parent and youth informants for certain disorders, a focus on current disorders, and flexibility regarding consideration of impairment. 3 tables and 36 references