Mental Health in the Attention Models for Juvenile Offenders. The Cases of Colombia, Argentina, United States and Canada

Abstract

Abstract
 Objective: To investigate how mental health is understood and approached in the attention models of detention centers for the convicted underage population in Argentina, Colombia, United States and Canada. Methodology: A literature search was conducted using the following key words: adolescence, mental health, juvenile justice, juvenile delinquency, risk factors, and interventions. Searches were done through the search engine Pubmed. Additionally, public institution websites for each country were consulted. Conclusions: Juvenile delinquency is now understood as a multi-factorial phenomenon with multiple areas of intervention within which economic, domestic and social factors are considered relevant, since these favor the development of criminal behavior. A similarity was found between Colombian and Argentinian systems; both are based on restorative justice that seeks reparation and not punishment; which is why there are no punitive measures. When comparing Canada and the United States, it can be seen that Canada is more similar to Latin-American countries than to the United States, given that the latter uses punitive measures focused on the offender.
 

Mental health care in adolescents in conflict with the law

“…En la actualidad, existe poca investigación sobre los sistemas de atención de la salud mental en adolescentes insertos en el sistema de justicia juvenil (Zeola et al 2017). Un estudio realizado en Estados Unidos, Colombia, Argentina y Canadá concluyó que la provisión de servicios de salud mental para adolescentes en conflicto con la ley depende, en gran parte, de los principios sociales y las características sociosanitarias de cada país (Villanueva et al 2018).…”