Seattle University Collaborative Projects - International Academy of ...

In this presentation the practical and personal aspects of a psychiatric and psychological autopsyare illustrated and explained.137. Psychopathology behind Razor Wire: Mental Illness in JuvenileJusticeYouth Behind Bars: Prevalence of Psychiatric Disorders in State CorrectionsOhiana Torrealday, The University of Texas (ohtorrea@utmb.edu)It is commonly understood that many youth who enter the Juvenile Justice System come fromchaotic home environments, have experienced multiple traumas, and present with complexmental health needs. The majority of published studies examining the extent of psychiatricdisorders among juvenile justice-involved youth in the United States have been based on small,predominantly male, youth samples held in pre-adjudication detention settings. Prevalence rateshave ranged from 65-70% of detained youth meeting DMS-IV-TR criteria for at least onepsychiatric disorder. How would this compare with adjudicated and sentenced male and femaleoffenders with more extensive delinquent histories? With 116,698 arrests in 2010 alone, Texashas one of the largest incarcerated Juvenile Justice populations in the U.S. and its six securecorrectional institutions serve as the last opportunity for rehabilitation before entering the adultDepartment of Corrections. Youth placed in these facilities have committed more frequent oregregious acts and have exhausted less restrictive graduated sanctions. We set out to investigatethe prevalence of psychiatric disorders among 11,600 youth committed to a state-wide juvenilecorrectional system. This presentation will address the prevalence rates found when comparingyouth across age, sex and race variables, as well as how these patterns compare to other juvenilejustice samples.Psychiatric Comorbidity in Secure Juvenile Settings: How Complex an Issue is itReally?Joseph V. Penn, The University of Texas (jopenn@utmb.edu)One characteristic commonly shared by youth involved in the U.S. Juvenile Justice System is ahistory of experimentation with or use of illicit substances. The prevalence rate for a substanceuse disorder among youth in the community has ranged from 6-10% while the rate for youth indetention centers was found to be substantially higher (47-81%). It is also known that substanceabusingyouth are likely to have contact with the mental health system, with many meetingcriteria for at least one other psychiatric disorder. The existing literature primarily focuses on theextent of comorbid psychiatric and substance use disorders among juveniles in pre-adjudicationdetention settings, with only one study examining prevalence rates in a small adjudicated323