Incarcerating juveniles in adult prisons as a factor in depression.
BACKGROUND
While existing research has shown higher prevalence of depression among incarcerated youths compared with non-incarcerated youths, none has studied incarceration as a cause of depression.


OBJECTIVE
This study suggests that incarceration, in particular placement of youths in adult incarceration, is a factor in developing depression.


METHODS
A records based comparison of depression among youths in different types of incarceration with non-incarcerated youths, controlling for other predictors of depression, namely offence type, family poverty, parents' history of incarceration and demographic profile.


RESULTS
Youths in adult placements were significantly more likely to be depressed than youths in juvenile placements and community-based youths.


CONCLUSIONS
The findings suggest that there are mental health implications against incarcerating youths in adult prisons, a concern that current juvenile justice might not have considered adequately.
Ng
Irene Y H
IY
Department of Social Work, National University of Singapore, Singapore. swknyhi@nus.edu.sg
Shen
Xiaoyi
X
Sim
Helen
H
Sarri
Rosemary C
RC
Stoffregen
Elizabeth
E
Shook
Jeffrey J
JJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D000328:Adult; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D007604:Juvenile Delinquency / Q000523:psychology*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008824:Michigan / Q000453:epidemiology; D011329:Prisoners / Q000523:psychology*; D011330:Prisons; D055815:Young Adult