The Behavioral Health Needs of First-Time Offending Justice-Involved Youth: Substance Use, Sexual Risk and Mental Health - PubMed (original) (raw)

The Behavioral Health Needs of First-Time Offending Justice-Involved Youth: Substance Use, Sexual Risk and Mental Health

Marina Tolou-Shams et al. J Child Adolesc Subst Abuse. 2019.

Abstract

This study examines substance use, emotional/behavioral symptoms and sexual risk among first-time offending, court-involved, non-incarcerated (FTO-CINI) youth. Youth and caregivers (N=423) completed tablet-based assessments. By time of first justice contact (average 14.5 years old), 49% used substances, 40% were sexually active and 33% reported both. Youth with co-occurring substance use and sexual risk had more emotional/behavioral symptoms; youth with delinquent offenses and females had greater co-occurring risk. Time of first offense is a critical period to intervene upon high rates of mental health need for those with co-occurring substance use and sexual risk to prevent poor health and legal outcomes.

Keywords: HIV/STIs; adolescent; juvenile justice; mental health; sexual risk; substance use.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1.

Figure 1.

Venn Diagram of Co-Occurring Substance Use and Sexual Risk (N=423*) * Note: 174 (41.1%) participants reported no sexual or substance use risk and are not shown in the Venn diagram. There were 82 youth reporting only substance use risk and 26 youth reporting only sexual risk.

References

    1. Abram KM, Stokes ML, Welty LJ, Aaby DA, & Teplin LA (2017). Disparities in HIV/AIDS risk behaviors after youth leave detention: a 14-year longitudinal study. Pediatrics, 139(2), e20160360. -PMC -PubMed
    1. Abram KM, Teplin LA, McClelland GM, & Dulcan MK (2003). Comorbid psychiatric disorders in youth in juvenile detention. Archives of General Psychiatry, 60(11), 1097–1108. -PMC -PubMed
    1. Belenko S, Dembo R, Weiland D, Rollie M, Salvatore C, Hanlon A, & Childs K (2008). Recently arrested adolescents are at high risk for sexually transmitted diseases. Sexually Transmitted Diseases, 35(8), 758–763. -PMC -PubMed
    1. Belenko S, Knight D, Wasserman GA, Dennis ML, Wiley T, Taxman FS, … Sales J (2017). The Juvenile Justice Behavioral Health Services Cascade: A new framework for measuring unmet substance use treatment services needs among adolescent offenders. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 74, 80–91. -PMC -PubMed
    1. Bronfenbrenner U (1986). Ecology of the family as a context for human development: Research perspectives. Developmental Psychology, 22(6), 723–742.

LinkOut - more resources