Mental health problems in male young offenders in custodial versus community based-programs: implications for juvenile justice interventions

Abstract

BackgroundYoung offenders are known to be a population with high prevalence of mental health disorders. In most cases, these disorders are neither identified nor treated properly, with the majority of them being chronic and difficult to treat. In many countries, the prevalence rates of psychopathology in male young offenders are still unknown and no psychotherapeutic interventions are delivered. Therefore, the main goal of the present study was to assess mental health problems in Portuguese male young offenders placed in either custodial or community-based programs and discuss treatment implications within the juvenile justice interventions.MethodsParticipants in this study included 217 male young offenders aged between 14 and 20 years old that were randomly selected using a random number table. From the total sample, 122 (56.3 %) participants were placed in juvenile detention facilities, and 95 (43.7 %) were receiving community-based programs. Participants were interviewed with the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview for Children and Adolescents, a structured interview that assesses DSM-IV Axis I Mental Disorders. Participants aged 18 years or older were also assessed with the antisocial personality disorder section from the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis II Personality Disorders.ResultsResults showed a high prevalence of mental health disorders, with a global prevalence of 91.2 % in the total sample. In both groups, global prevalence rates were equally high (93.4 % in youth in custodial versus 88.4 % in youth in community-based programs). Substance-related disorders were more prevalent in youth placed in juvenile facilities, whereas anxiety and mood disorders were more often found in the community-based group. Moreover, oppositional defiant disorder was more prevalent in youth from the community, whereas antisocial personality disorder and conduct disorder were less prevalent than expected in this same group. A high comorbidity rate was also found, with the majority of participants from both groups’ fulfilling criteria for two or more disorders. Additionally, participants with conduct disorder were over four times more likely to fulfill criteria for substance abuse.ConclusionsOur findings inform about specific needs concerning mental health intervention that should be taken into account when deciding and planning rehabilitation programs for male young offenders, either from custodial or community-based programs.

Prevalence and risk factors for mental health problems and suicidal expressions among young male prisoners in Cambodia: A cross-sectional study

“…Overall, there are a lack of comparable studies regarding mental health among youth prisoners. The prevalence of mental health problems in our study is comparable in certain dimensions to those reported in Sweden and Portugal among prisoners of the same age (12,31). Anxiety problems were at the same rate (52%) but antisocial behaviour was 63% in the Swedish study, considerably higher than in our study where the level was around 41%.…”

“…It is known that somatisation in LMIC has a cultural component and has been understood as a way of expressing distress and trauma; as a result, somatic complaints are often reported instead (32). In the Portuguese study, young male offenders between the ages of 14 and 20 revealed a higher prevalence of mental disorders (91.2%) while in our study 46.33% of the respondents had mental health problems (31).…”

The Efficacy of a Compassion-Focused Therapy–Based Intervention in Reducing Psychopathic Traits and Disruptive Behavior: A Clinical Case Study With a Juvenile Detainee

“…The high prevalence of the conduct disorder (CD) diagnosis among juvenile detainees is well established in the literature (Abram et al, 2015; Rijo et al, 2016). In addition, psychopathic traits (i.e., grandiose–manipulative [GM], callous–unemotional [CU], and impulsive–Irresponsible [II] traits) are more prevalent in detained youth than in normative youth (Andershed, Kerr, Stattin, & Levander, 2002; Ribeiro da Silva, Salekin, & Rijo, 2019).…”

“…At baseline, Peter was assessed with the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview for Children and Adolescents (MINI-KID; Sheehan et al, 2010; Portuguese Authorized Version by Rijo et al, 2016). This baseline assessment took place 4 months after Peter’s placement in the detention facility.…”

Thematic series CAPMH “Forensic Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health”

“…In order to emphasize this problem, policymakers should be informed about their national prevalence rates. For this reason, Rijo and colleagues [4] examined the prevalence rates of mental disorders, including personality disorders, in a randomized sample of male juvenile offenders assessed in the Portuguese Juvenile Justice System. In addition, they compared the prevalence rates of juvenile offenders in custodial and community-based programs.…”