Prevalence of mental disorders among 15-17-year-old male adolescent remand prisoners in Denmark.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the past year prevalence of mental disorders of 15-17-year-old adolescent remand prisoners in east Denmark.


METHODS
One hundred 15-17-year-old boys from east Denmark consecutively remanded during 1 year were interviewed with diagnostic instruments to obtain ICD-10 diagnoses. All were screened in The Danish Psychiatric Case Register and The Danish Criminal Register.


RESULTS
Past year prevalence of 'any mental disorder' was 69%, substance use disorders 41%. Two per cent had schizophrenia and 2% schizotypal disorder. Thirty-six per cent had 'probable personality disorder'. Conduct disorder was found in 31% and 1% had a hyperkinetic disorder. Ten per cent had previous registered psychiatric contact.


CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of mental disorders was found substantially higher compared with literature of population-based samples. With an association between mental disorders and violence, early detection and treatment of mental disorders in adolescent delinquents is of importance in the prevention of violence.
Gosden
N P
NP
Clinic of Forensic Psychiatry, Ministry of Justice, Copenhagen, Denmark. npg@dadlnet.dk
Kramp
P
P
Gabrielsen
G
G
Sestoft
D
D
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D011329:Prisoners / Q000523:psychology*; D014754:Violence / Q000523:psychology*