Perceived Health Care Needs Among Detained Youth

The objective of this study was to explore the health needs and previous health care experiences of youth detained in juvenile detention, addressing the gap in understanding their health care priorities and needs.

A total of 29 English-speaking youth from 2 urban, midwestern juvenile detention centers completed semi-structured interviews and a confidential demographic questionnaire from December 2020 to May 2022. We used thematic analysis to identify themes and subthemes regarding youths' health care experiences in and outside of detention.

The following 4 themes emerged: (1) Detained youth value sexual and reproductive, mental, and general wellness; (2) Detention center practices impacted the health and health care experiences of detained youth, including feeling that medical needs were ignored and negative experiences while in detention affected their well-being; (3) Concerns for negative outcomes, such as fear of the medical environment and being negatively judged by detention center staff and medical providers, deter youth from seeking health care; and (4) Medical providers can improve the health care experiences for detained youth. Youth recommended that providers create a comfortable environment and demonstrate that their care provision extends beyond traditional health care needs.

This study reveals the significant impact of bias and stigma on detained youth's health care experiences and highlights their health care priorities. Understanding these perspectives can inform the medical provision by community providers, detention center-level practices, system-level policies, and medical education to mitigate health disparities and improve health care outcomes for detained youth.