Diagnoses and Treatment in Juvenile Detention Before and After Evaluation by Facility-Based Mental Health Service

As of 2018, more than 37,000 American youth were residing in juvenile detention or residential placement facilities.¹ Prevalence studies have demonstrated high rates of psychiatric illness in this population, with estimates ranging from 50% to 75%.^2,3 Comorbidity is common: Abram et al. found that 75% of juvenile detainees meeting criteria for one disorder met criteria for two or more disorders.⁴ Compared to psychiatric morbidity in justice-involved youth, there is a paucity of data describing mental health services within juvenile justice settings, treatments delivered by these services, or outcomes following treatment. We performed a retrospective study to compare diagnoses and medications prescribed to youth in the community prior to detention with those received after evaluation by the facility-based juvenile justice mental health service (JJMHS) staffing secure detention facilities in New York, NY.