Depression in Justice-involved Youth

United States Youth Arrest and Health Across the Life Course: A Nationally Representative Longitudinal Study

BACKGROUND

Youth are arrested at high rates in the United States; however, long-term health effects of arrest remain unmeasured. We sought to describe the sociodemographic characteristics and health of adults who were arrested at various ages among a nationally representative sample.

METHODS

Using the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, we describe sociodemographics and health status in adolescence (Wave I, ages 12-21) and adulthood (Wave V, ages 32-42) for people first arrested at age younger than 14 years, 14 to 17 years, and 18 to 24 years, compared to never arrested adults. Health measures included physical health (general health, mobility/functional limitations, death), mental health (depressive symptoms, suicidal thoughts), and clinical biomarkers (hypertension, diabetes). We estimate associations between age of first arrest and health using covariate adjusted regressions.

RESULTS

Among the sample of 10,641 adults, 28.5% had experienced arrest before age 25. Individuals first arrested as children (ie, age <14) were disproportionately Black, compared to White. Compared to individuals never arrested, people arrested before age 25 had more depressive symptoms and higher rates of suicidal thoughts during adolescence. Arrest before age 25 was associated with worse self-reported health, higher rates of functional limitations, more depressive symptoms, and greater mortality by adulthood (ages 32-42).

CONCLUSIONS

Arrest before age 25 was associated with worse physical and mental health--and even death in adulthood. Child arrest was disproportionately experienced by Black children. Reducing arrests of youth may be associated with improved health across the life course, particularly among Black youth, thereby promoting health equity.

Sexual Trauma Informed Understanding of Longitudinal Depression among Repeat Juvenile Offenders

Childhood sexual assault (CSA) victimization and depression are global public health concerns that disproportionately affect youths involved in the juvenile justice system. Little research has examined the influence of CSA on the stability of depressive symptoms among repeat juvenile offenders. The present study tested a gendered model of the association between lifetime CSA victimization and depression for three time points: baseline juvenile assessment entry; second reentry; and third reentry. Further, covariate analyses were conducted to explore the impact of socio-demographics on CSA victimization and depression. Results indicate that CSA victimization was associated directly with baseline depression and indirectly with depression at second reentry for both male and female justice-involved youths. For white, male youth, there were significantly higher rates of depression over time, than other males. However, age, African American or Hispanic race/ethnicity, living situation, and urbanity were not significantly associated with CSA victimization at baseline or depression over time. These findings underscore the need for juvenile justice services that address exposure to childhood trauma and mental illness more effectively.

Prevalence, Comorbidity, and Continuity of Psychiatric Disorders in a 15-Year Longitudinal Study of Youths Involved in the Juvenile Justice System

Importance

Previous studies have found that one-half to three-quarters of youths detained in juvenile justice facilities have 1 or more psychiatric disorders. Little is known about the course of their disorders as they age.

Objective

To examine the prevalence, comorbidity, and continuity of 13 psychiatric disorders among youths detained in a juvenile justice facility during the 15 years after detention up to a median age of 31 years, with a focus on sex and racial/ethnic differences.

Design, Setting, and Participants

The Northwestern Juvenile Project is a longitudinal cohort study of health needs and outcomes of 1829 randomly selected youths in a temporary juvenile detention center in Cook County, Illinois. Youths aged 10 to 18 years were interviewed in detention from November 20, 1995, through June 14, 1998. Participants were reinterviewed up to 12 times during the 15-year study period through February 2015, for a total of 16 372 interviews. The sample was stratified by sex, race/ethnicity (Black, Hispanic, and non-Hispanic White), age (10-13 years or 14-18 years), and legal status (processed in juvenile or adult court). Data analysis was conducted from February 2014, when data preparation began, to March 2020.

Exposures

Detention in a juvenile justice facility.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Psychiatric disorders, assessed by the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children, version 2.3 at the baseline interviews. Follow-up interviews were conducted using the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children, version IV; the Diagnostic Interview Schedule, version IV; and the World Mental Health Composite International Diagnostic Interview (beginning at the 6-year follow-up interview).

Results

The study included 1829 youths sampled at baseline (1172 males and 657 females; mean [SD] age, 14.9 [1.4] years). Although prevalence and comorbidity of psychiatric disorders decreased as the 1829 participants aged, 52.3% of males and 30.9% of females had at least 1 or more psychiatric disorders 15 years postdetention. Among participants with a disorder at baseline, 64.3% of males and 34.8% of females had a disorder 15 years later. Compared with females, males had 3.37 times the odds of persisting with a psychiatric disorder 15 years after baseline (95% CI, 1.79-6.35). Compared with Black participants and Hispanic participants, non-Hispanic White participants had 1.6 times the odds of behavioral disorders (odds ratio, 1.56; 95% CI, 1.27-1.91 and odds ratio, 1.59; 95% CI, 1.23-2.05, respectively) and greater than 1.3 times the odds of substance use disorders (odds ratio, 1.90; 95% CI, 1.55-2.33 and odds ratio, 1.39; 95% CI, 1.11-1.73, respectively) throughout the follow-up period. Behavioral disorders and substance use disorders were the most prevalent 15 years after detention.

Conclusions and Relevance

This study's findings suggest that persistent psychiatric disorders may complicate the transition from adolescence to adulthood, which is already challenging for youths involved in the juvenile justice system, many of whom are from racial/ethnic minority groups and low-income backgrounds. The pediatric health community should advocate for early identification and treatment of disorders among youths in the justice system.

Depression, anxiety, and drug usage history indicators among institutionalized juvenile offenders of Brasilia

INTRODUCTION

One of the most serious socio-educational measures for children and adolescents in conflict with the law in Brazil is their internment. This measure may represent an additional source of stress to this population and present significant impacts in the mental health context. This study aims to describe anxiety levels, depression, and addictive consumption, as well as to estimate the causalities and interactions of these variables.

METHODS

Herein, we report a study in which 175 male juveniles from youth detention institutions of the Federal District voluntarily completed the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and a short self-rating questionnaire asking whether and how often they had experienced cannabis, alcohol, and other "hard" psychotropic drugs (e.g., crack, cocaine, amphetamine) 1 year prior to institutionalization.

RESULTS

Of the total participants, 28.00% showed moderate to severe depression scores and 34.28% showed moderate to severe anxiety scores. In addition, the vast majority of participants also reported some antecedent drug abuse, including cannabis, alcohol, and other "hard drugs." The BDI scores moderately correlated with BAI, but none of these parameters considerably correlated with the antecedent drug abuse.

CONCLUSIONS

The data indicate potentially concerning levels of emotional distress in these institutionalized juveniles which seem to be independent of addictive behaviors. These data deserve attention and further investigation. Thus, a need for preventative mental health for the general population and socio-educational intervention aimed at interned youth which can decrease levels of emotional stress is emphasized.

Correlates of depression among Black girls exposed to violence

Depression rates for youth remanded to juvenile detention is double that of the general population and Black girls are especially vulnerable. A dearth of literature analyzes the factors that are correlated with depression among system-involved Black girls, ages 12-17 years old. We utilized personal agency to examine the relationship between risk factors (i.e., abuse history, and fear of condom negotiation) and protective factors (i.e., condom self-efficacy, and perceived social support) that might correlate with depression among Black girls exposed to violence. Findings indicate that fear of condom negotiation, abuse history and low condom self-efficacy are correlated with depressive symptomology while self-esteem and perceived social support are protective factors that may serve as a buffer against girls' feelings of helplessness and hopelessness. The findings of this study suggest several implications for prevention and intervention efforts to reduce the depression-related risks among justice-involved Black females, including strategies that promote healing within their social support networks.