The risk behaviors and mental health of detained adolescents: a controlled, prospective longitudinal study.
BACKGROUND
To assess the behavioral risk factors and mental health needs of adolescents in juvenile detention centers (JDC).


METHODS
A total of 238 boys aged 12-17 years was surveyed who had been admitted to a detention center and compared them with boys from the community (n = 238) matched for sex and age. We assessed behavioral risk factors and mental health problems by using the Youth Risk Behavior Survey questionnaire (YRBS) and the Youth Self-Report questionnaire (YSR).


RESULTS
Young offenders had significantly higher YRBS scores than controls for drug use (odds ratio (OR) 5.16, 95% CI 2.27-7.84), sexual intercourse (OR, 2.51; 95% CI 1.55-2.90), irregular diet (4.78, 2.11-7.51), suicide attempts (1.96, 1.32-5.85), and physical fighting behavior (3.49, 1.60-7.07), but not for tobacco use, alcohol use, and high-risk cycling. Young offenders at the time of admission (6.61, 2.58-15.2), at 6 months (3.12, 1.81-10.1), and at 12 months (5.29, 1.98-13.3) reported statistically higher levels of total mental health problems than adolescents in a community sample.


CONCLUSIONS
Young offenders have a high rate of mental and behavioral disorders. In the detention period, aggressive behavior, self-destructive/identity, and externalizing of problems improved while withdrawn, anxious or depressed, and internalizing of problems worsened.
Department of Neurology, Laboratory for Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China.
Zhenhua
Z
Zhou
Hongyan
H
Xiong
Ran
R
Jia
Guoyu
G
Yang
Tianyou
T
Guo
Zhaoyou
Z
Meng
Guangyu
G
Huang
Yao
Y
Zhang
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000523:psychology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D057237:Criminals / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012309:Risk-Taking; D057566:Self Report; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires