Adolescent offenders with mental disorders.

Area of Science:

• Forensic Psychology
• Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• Public Policy

Background:

• Youth with mental disorders represent a significant portion of those in the juvenile justice system.
• Current juvenile justice systems face challenges in addressing the needs of these youths.
• Adolescent mental disorders can increase the risk of impulsive and aggressive behaviors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine research and clinical evidence to inform public policy regarding youth with mental disorders in the juvenile justice system.
• To explore the reasons for the increased presence of mentally disordered youth in juvenile courts.
• To propose effective strategies for responding to the mental health needs of justice-involved youth.

Main Methods:

• Review of clinical science and research evidence on adolescent mental disorders and delinquency.
• Analysis of social phenomena impacting the intersection of mental health and the juvenile justice system.
• Examination of existing treatment approaches and their efficacy.

Main Results:

• Most youth arrested for delinquency do not have serious mental disorders, but nearly two-thirds in detention meet criteria for mental disorders.
• Deficiencies in child mental health systems and changes in juvenile law have contributed to more youth with mental disorders entering the juvenile justice system.
• Relying solely on juvenile justice for mental health services may necessitate arrest for access and may not be optimal for treatment effectiveness.

Conclusions:

• A greater emphasis on mental health treatment within the juvenile justice system may not be the most effective solution.
• Community-based systems of care, integrating services across agencies, offer a more promising approach.
• The juvenile justice system's role should be focused on emergency services and intensive care for a small subset of youth not treatable in the community.