Predictors of cannabis use among first-time justice-involved youth: A cohort study

The Role of Family Factors in the Outcomes of Court-Involved Youth

Court-involved youth (CIY) comprise a significant portion of the U.S. population and have a high prevalence of psychiatric illness and substance use. Youth delinquency has also been associated with family variables and parenting practices. However, it is not known which family factors are most relevant to behavioral outcomes in CIY mandated to outpatient mental health treatment. Self-report measures from 163 CIY (M = 15.19 years; 58.3% male) starting psychiatric care in two U.S. cities were utilized in a cross-sectional analysis to examine the association of parental monitoring and family functioning with the severity and variety of delinquent acts. Results demonstrate that parental monitoring is significantly associated with the delinquent behavior of CIY in mental health treatment, beyond that of psychiatric symptoms and substance use. Improved understanding of influential family factors can enhance tailoring of existing interventions to ensure that they are relevant to the needs of CIY, especially those in psychiatric treatment.

Readiness to change among justice-involved young adults in an alternative sentencing program who screened positive for alcohol or drug risk

•

Justice-involved young adults are in need of tailored substance use interventions.

•

Readiness to change is a key component of substance use behavioral change.

•

Many justice-involved young adults were ready to change their substance use.

•

Personal reasons to quit using drugs are a potential intervention target.

Introduction

Readiness to change is a key component of substance use behavioral change; yet little is known about readiness to change among justice-involved young adults. This study 1) describes readiness to change alcohol and drug use and 2) examines predictors of readiness to change alcohol and drug use among justice-involved young adults.

Method

Justice-involved young adults (18–24 years; n = 137) who were positive on a validated alcohol and/or drug screening tool completed an interview assessing substance use, readiness to change, and reasons to quit. A multivariable linear regression model examined whether reasons to change and substance use severity, and interactions between these, predicted readiness.

Results

More than half of participants were contemplating or had decided to quit/cut down substance use. Personal reasons to quit were positively related to readiness to change; interpersonal reasons were negatively associated.

Conclusions

This study contributes information needed to design motivational interventions for substance use among justice-involved young adults. Personal reasons to quit using drugs are a potential intervention target.

Leveraging Technology to Increase Behavioral Health Services Access for Youth in the Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare Systems: a Cross-systems Collaboration Model

Behavioral health services access for justice- and child welfare-involved youth is limited despite significant need. Structural interventions to address limited access are nascent. Technology can advance access, but few interventions focus on system-impacted youth and their mental health needs and challenges. This article describes the development, process, and initial outcomes of the Youth Justice and Family Well-Being Technology Collaborative (JTC) that was formed to leverage technology within and across public health and justice-related systems to promote increased behavioral health services access. Cross-system considerations are identified for public health, court, and other key stakeholders to successfully integrate technology into practice to expand access to these critical services.

VOICES: An efficacious trauma-informed, gender-responsive cannabis use intervention for justice and school-referred girls with lifetime substance use history

BACKGROUND

Girls have unique developmental pathways to substance use and justice system involvement, warranting gender-responsive intervention. We tested the efficacy of VOICES (a 12-session, weekly trauma-informed, gender-responsive substance use intervention) in reducing substance use and HIV/STI risk behaviors among justice- and school-referred girls.

METHODS

Participants were 113 girls (M_age = 15.7 years, SD = 1.4; 12 % White, 19 % Black, 15 % multi-racial; 42 % Latinx) with a history of substance use referred from juvenile justice (29 %) and school systems (71 %). Study assessments were completed at baseline, 3-, 6- and 9-months follow-up. Primary outcomes included substance use and HIV/STI risk behaviors; secondary outcomes included psychiatric symptoms (including posttraumatic stress) and delinquent acts. We hypothesized that girls randomized to the VOICES (n = 51) versus GirlHealth (attention control; n = 62) condition would report reduced alcohol, cannabis and other substance use, HIV/STI risk behaviors, psychiatric symptoms, and delinquent acts.

RESULTS

Girls randomized to VOICES reported significantly less cannabis use over 9-month follow-up relative to the control condition (time by intervention, p < .01), but there were no between group differences over time in HIV/STI risk behavior. Girls in both conditions reported fewer psychiatric symptoms and delinquent acts over time.

CONCLUSIONS

Data support the use of a trauma-informed, gender-responsive intervention to reduce cannabis use among girls with a substance use history and legal involvement; reducing cannabis use in this population has implications for preventing future justice involvement and improving public health outcomes for girls and young women, who are at disproportionate health and legal risk relative to their male counterparts.

The prospective impact of adverse childhood experiences on justice-involved youth's psychiatric symptoms and substance use

OBJECTIVE

Justice-involved youth report high rates of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs; abuse, neglect, household dysfunction) and are at high risk for elevated behavioral health needs (i.e., substance use, psychiatric symptoms). Research with broad samples of adolescents shows ACEs predict behavioral health outcomes, yet most research on the impact of ACEs among justice-involved youth focuses on recidivism. The present study addresses this gap by examining the prospective association between ACEs and psychiatric symptoms, substance use, and substance-related problems (i.e., consequences of use) among first-time justice-involved youth.

METHOD

First-time justice-involved youth (n = 271; 54.3% male; M age = 14.5 years; 43.5% Latinx; non-Latinx: 34.2% White, 8.6% Black, 7.1% Other, 6.7% Multiracial) and their caregivers were assessed at youth's first court contact and 4- and 12-month follow-ups. Youth and caregivers reported youth's exposure to ACEs through a series of instruments at baseline and 4-months (e.g., Childhood Trauma Questionnaire Short-Form; Traumatic Life Events Inventory). Primary outcomes included youth alcohol and cannabis use (Adolescent Risk Behavior Assessment), consequences of use (Brief Young Adult Alcohol Consequences Questionnaire; Brief Marijuana Consequences Scale), and psychiatric symptoms (Behavior Assessment System for Children; National Stressful Events Survey PTSD Short Scale).

RESULTS

Youth were exposed to three ACEs, on average, prior to first justice contact (M = 3). Exposure to more ACEs, particularly abuse, predicted substance use and psychiatric outcomes. Gender differences emerged for cannabis use and internalizing symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

Implications for trauma-responsive juvenile justice reform are discussed, including screening for ACEs and their sequelae at first court contact and considering the role of masculine norms. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).