[Forensic child, adolescent and transitional psychiatry]

Over the past 20 years there has been a marked increase in research relating to forensic child and adolescent psychiatry.

To review briefly and reflect on this research.

First of all, we describe the characteristics of forensic psychiatry and consider the consequences of this type of psychiatry for research in forensic settings. Secondly, we highlight several lines of research; these range from neurobiology to the prevalence of psychiatric disorders in persons who have committed specific types of offences.

A majority of young people who have been in contact with the law appeared to have a psychiatric disorder, especially behavioural disorders, ADHD and substance abuse. However, also anxiety and depressive disorders were found in 10-20% of all delinquent young people. Particularly the existence of more than one disorder showed a connection between the nature and the severity of the delinquent behaviour and the disfunctioning of the adolescent. Current research focuses on stress and HPA axis of young people in relation to proactive and reactive aggression.

In the past decades research in forensic child and adolescent psychiatry has taken an enormous flight. One of the challenges for the future will be translating the results of the research into practice.