260803 Access to mental healthcare for incarcerated and other vulnerable adolescent males

Monday, October 29, 2012 : 12:45 PM - 1:00 PM

Anthony Roberson, PhD, PMHNP-BC , Capstone College of Nursing, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL
An estimated two-million adolescents are arrested in the U.S. each year, resulting in the placement of approximately 100,000 adolescents in juvenile detention/correction facilities. Among this detained population, up to 80% are male, and the prevalence of mental health disorders range from 60% to 90%. In addition, less than 20% of incarcerated males who need mental health treatment actually receive the appropriate services. While the importance of detaining male adolescents for criminal behaviors is acknowledged and agreed upon, they are oftentimes admitted to juvenile justice systems primarily because mental health services are lacking in the community, and/or the behaviors of the adolescents are mistakenly considered solely criminal in nature. My research focuses on addressing access to mental health care for incarcerated and other vulnerable, at-risk adolescents. I will present the findings of a study in which community stakeholders emphasized the need to overhaul the mental health system, especially in terms of providing services to male adolescents who are at risk of being incarcerated, or who are currently or have been incarcerated. Further, I will emphasize how early detection, intervention, and treatment in adolescence is key to decreasing the prevalence of untreated mental health illness in adulthood. Lastly, I will discuss the important links between effectively treating the mental health needs of male adolescents whose behaviors are criminal in nature, and how community mental health intervention programs may lead to a decrease in the number of arrests and overall incarcerations of male adolescents.

Learning Areas:
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs

Learning Objectives:
Objective #1: To identify the many barriers to receiving psychiatric mental health treatment for adolescents in the juvenile justice system. Objective #2: To discuss community-based programs that will increase and improve the delivery of psychiatric mental health services to high-risk adolescents in the community.

Keywords: Adolescents, Child/Adolescent Mental Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been principal or co-principal investigator on funded grants focusing on evaluating the decision-making and consent process of adolescents who are receiving mental health treatment. In addition, my area of research has focused on assessing access to mental health treatment for incarcerated and other vulnerable, at-risk male adolescents. I am currently evaluating community programs to implement in the juvenile justice system in order to address the lack of mental health treatment for this population.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.