Psychiatric morbidity in juvenile incarcerated population

This study explores the prevalence and correlates of psychiatric morbidity among juvenile prisoners. In 2007, data were collected from all juvenile incarcerated population (n=1,505) in 23 correctional institutions using a self-administered, anonymous questionnaire in group settings directed by our interviewers. Psychiatric morbidity was measured using the 5-item Brief Symptom Rating Scale (BSRS-5) in 1,363 participants, which represented a 91% response rate. The Cronbach's alpha of the BSRS-5 in this study population was 0.86. Females comprised 10.6% of the respondents. The prevalence of psychiatric morbidity was 42.3%. A multivariate logistic regression revealed that correlates of the BSRS-5 defined cases included the following: being female (OR=2.73, 95%CI=1.82-4.09), ever joined a gang (OR=1.81, 95%CI=1.29-2.53), experiencing life disturbances prior to current imprisonment (OR=2.55, 95%CI=1.96-3.30), those with a smoking habit (OR=1.69, 95%CI=1.14-2.48), and those without a fixed sexual partner (OR=1.68, 95%CI=1.17-2.43), after controlling for participants' age and their sexual orientation. Our results shows that screening for mental health issues in the juvenile incarcerated population may identify cases with psychological distress in need of further evaluation. Mental health promotion is likely to have greater impact if they are carefully tailored to address the gender sensitive mental health intervention needs of juvenile inmates.