IMPORTANCE Longitudinal studies of delinquent youth have focused on criminal recidivism, not on psychosocial outcomes in adulthood. This omission is critical because after detention most youth return to the community, where they become the responsibility of pediatric health care professionals.OBJECTIVE To investigate 8 positive outcomes among delinquent youth 5 and 12 years after detention, focusing on sex and racial/ethnic differences. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTSIn the Northwestern Juvenile Project, a longitudinal US study of long-term outcomes of delinquent youth after detention, participants were interviewed in detention between

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This study examined neuropsychological characteristics of offenders who killed children. Although prior studies have focused on filicide and neonaticide, children are killed in a variety of contexts. This study used a diverse sample of individuals (N = 33) accused of killing one or more children, referred for forensic neuropsychological evaluation. Across all cognitive domains (intellectual functioning, attention/working memory/processing speed, memory, reasoning/executive functioning, language), mean scores fell in the low average to average range. Offenders who solely killed children were less likely to do so in a premeditated fashion, were more likely to use manual means (e.g., drowning or beating), and scored lower on measures of language and verbal memory, compared with those who also killed adults as part of the offense. Contrary to prior findings, few gender differences were evident in this group of offenders. Findings highlight meaningful heterogeneity in offenders who kill children, which may inform prevention, treatment, and risk assessment.

This study investigated the prevalence of loss due to death and its association with mental disorders in a random sample of 898 newly detained adolescents in Chicago, Illinois. Nearly 90% of youth experienced the loss of an important person; most had also experienced a “high-risk” loss (e.g., loss due to violence, sudden loss). Minority youth were at particular risk. Youth with any loss or multiple losses were more likely to have mood disorders and ADHD/behavioral disorders, respectively, than youth who had no such losses. Interventions focusing on modifiable protective factors following loss may increase positive outcomes in this vulnerable population.

People who inject drugs (PWIDs) (of whom there are approximately 16 million worldwide) are at a high risk for severe health consequences, including HIV, hepatitis C virus, and death from overdose. Strategies to reduce the harms associated with injection drug use have been implemented on a global level and have demonstrated success in reducing HIV transmission, risky injection practices (eg, needle sharing), and illicit drug use. This article reviews the evidence base for three widely implemented and well-validated harm-reduction strategies for PWIDs: (1) needle- and syringe-exchange programs, (2) medication-assisted therapy for opioid use disorder, and (3) HIV testing and counseling. We also highlight barriers to service for PWIDs, particularly among marginalized populations. This article concludes with recommendations for addressing those barriers and for further research. [ Psychiatr Ann . 2017;47(1):45–48.]