title: Psychiatric disorder in detained male adolescents as risk factor for serious recidivism.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A growing body of research consistently shows that detained minors bear substantial mental health needs. However, the relation between mental disorder and criminal recidivism has largely remained unexplored. Our study examines whether psychiatric disorders increase the likelihood of recidivism after controlling for time at risk, criminal history, and the presence of other disorders.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants (n = 232) were detained male adolescents from all 3 youth detention centres in Flanders, Belgium, who were interviewed with the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children, Version IV. Two to 4 years later, information on serious recidivism was retrieved from the official judicial registration system. Serious recidivism was defined as having at least one arrest charge for violent, severe property crime, or substance-related offences.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serious recidivism was high, with 81% (n = 191) of the participants being rearrested. Psychiatric disorders predicted neither serious recidivism in general nor violent and severe property recidivism. However, other drug use disorder (OR 2.41; 95% CI 1.22 to 4.75) and general comorbidity (OR 2.64; 95% CI 1.40 to 4.99) were significantly predictive of substance-related recidivism.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Common psychiatric disorders in detained male adolescents do not significantly increase the likelihood of subsequent arrests, with the exception that substance use disorders appear to increase the risk of later substance-related recidivism. Effective treatment of these disorders may prevent detained juveniles to experience the detrimental outcomes associated with substance-related crimes as adults (for example, mental illness).
authors.affiliation: Curium-Leiden University Medical Center, Endegeesterstraatweg 27, Oegstgeest, the Netherlands. o.colins@curium.nl
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Colins
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vermeiren
authors.forename: Pauline
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vahl
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Markus
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Broekaert
authors.forename: Theo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Doreleijers
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001530:Belgium; D002648:Child; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007604:Juvenile Delinquency / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D011329:Prisoners / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012306:Risk; D055502:Secondary Prevention; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D014754:Violence / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data