title: The mental health of young people attending a Youth Offending Team: a descriptive study.
abstract: This study documents the health needs of young offenders aged 10-17 attending a community Youth Offending Team (YOT). All young people known to a YOT on a selected date were identified. Health information was collected via semi-structured interviews and standardized questionnaires. Potential mental health problems that required further specialist assessment were identified in 56% of those assessed. Alcohol was consumed more than twice per week by 68%, with 47% having recently smoked cannabis, and, 11% recently using heroin, methadone or crack cocaine. Use of secondary health-care services was common although contact with primary-care services was less frequent with almost half having no contact with a GP in the past year. The process of meeting the physical and mental health needs of young offenders in the community is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust, UK. paul.stallard@awp.nhs.uk
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Stallard
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Thomason
authors.forename: Sally
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Churchyard
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D002648:Child; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004739:England; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007604:Juvenile Delinquency / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D020380:Needs Assessment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation