Delinquency and the profile of offences among depressed and non-depressed adolescents.
BACKGROUND
Depression has previously been found to be closely connected to adolescent delinquency, but little is known about how depression is related to different types of delinquency.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate patterns of criminal behaviour according to depression among repeatedly delinquent adolescents.


METHODS
The sample was 14- to 16-year-old repeatedly delinquent adolescents (n 3679) taking part in the Finnish School Health Promotion Study, surveyed for versatility and specialization of delinquency in relation to depression.


RESULTS
Patterns of criminal behaviour differed between depressed and non-depressed delinquent adolescents. The delinquent behaviour of depressed adolescents was more versatile than that of non-depressed adolescents who mainly specialized in one offence type. Non-depressed delinquent boys had most often specialized in violence. Most depressed delinquent boys had committed a variety of offences, but among those who did specialize the specialist category was violent offences. Non-depressed delinquent girls had specialized in shoplifting. Among depressed delinquent girls vandalism was the most typical offence.


CONCLUSIONS
Differences in the delinquent behaviour of depressed and non-depressed delinquent adolescents suggest the value of including clinical assessment, and treatment for some, in an appropriately comprehensive pattern of management.
Ritakallio
Minna
M
University of Tampere, Tampere School of Public Health, Tampere, Finland. minna.ritakallio@uta.fi
Kaltiala-Heino
Riittakerttu
R
Kivivuori
Janne
J
Luukkaala
Tiina
T
Rimpelä
Matti
M
D000293:Adolescent; D003415:Crime / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007604:Juvenile Delinquency / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*