The high rates of diagnosable mental health disorders among youth involved in the juvenile justice system has prompted calls to action from congressional representatives, administrators within federal justice agencies, federal commissions, and the Council of State Governments. In addition, the federal Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act provides grant funding for collaborations between mental health and justice systems, and recent legislation in Washington State directly addresses the diversion of juvenile offenders with mental health disorders through expanding diversion options and strengthening connections with mental health treatment. The focus on this area reflects the fact that approximately 70 percent of youth involved with the justice system face at least one mental health challenge compared to only 22 percent of youth in the general population. Nearly 30 percent of justice-involved youth have a disorder that seriously disrupts functioning and requires immediate treatment. Often, the mental health conditions of justice-involved youth are complex and involve more than one diagnosis. Approximately 60 percent of youth in the justice system have at least three diagnosable disorders at one time; the most common disorders being disruptive disorders, anxiety disorders and substance use disorders.
Language: en
", language="en", issn="1937-7010", doi="10.1001/virtualmentor.2013.15.10.pfor1-1310", url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/virtualmentor.2013.15.10.pfor1-1310" }