currently faced by the youth justice system. Reported
rates of mental disorders among youths vary depend-
ing on how mental disorders are measured and at what
point in the system youths are assessed. However, it is
apparent that rates of mental disorders among juvenile
offenders are much higher than those of general com-
munity samples of youths.
Recent studies have indicated that approximately
60% to 70% of youths in juvenile detention facilities
meet the criteria for at least one mental disorder. The
types of disorders found in adolescent offenders are
diverse. Not surprisingly, many adolescent offenders
meet the criteria for conduct disorder, a disorder that
is characterized by illegal and antisocial behaviors,
such as violence and stealing. However, even after
conduct disorder is excluded from definitions of men-
tal disorder, estimated rates of mental disorders
remain extremely high among adolescent offenders;
as many as 60% of detained male youths and 70% of
detained female youths meet the criteria for a disorder
other than conduct disorder.
Besides conduct disorder, a number of other men-
tal disorders are very common among adolescent
offenders, including major depression, which includes
symptoms such as depressed or irritable mood; post-
traumatic stress disorder, which is characterized by
symptoms such as flashbacks and avoidance of expe-
riences that are reminiscent of the earlier trauma;
attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, which includes
symptoms such as difficulties attending to informa-
tion, hyperactivity, and impulsivity; and substance use
disorders, which involve inappropriate use and overuse
of substances such as alcohol and drugs in a manner
that has detrimental effects on a youth’s functioning.
Many detained youths meet the criteria for multiple
disorders.
The rates and types of mental disorders exhibited
by mentally ill youths differ depending on the demo-
graphic characteristics of the youth. Female offenders
experience some disorders, such as posttraumatic
stress disorder and major depression, at considerably
higher rates than male offenders. In addition, prelimi-
nary research has reported that many types of mental
disorders are more common among detained non-
Hispanic White youths than among detained Black or
Hispanic youths. However, it may be that the tools
that are used to detect mental disorders are less accu-
rate when used with minority populations. For
instance, individuals from ethnic minority groups may
be less likely to reveal mental disorders.Future research on mental disorders in detained
youths could benefit from international perspectives.
Most existing research has focused on mental disor-
ders among detained American youths, although there
is some preliminary evidence that young offenders in
other countries, including Canada and the United
Kingdom, may also have high rates of mental ill-
nesses. International research could help us develop a
better understanding of variations in rates of mental
disorders within different youth justice systems, as
well as the different types of efforts that countries
have taken to respond to these mental health issues.
In addition, Thomas Grisso, the leading expert in
this field, has offered a number of useful concepts to
guide research on the mental health of juvenile
offenders from the perspective of developmental psy-
chopathology. A key point of this perspective is that
mental disorders must be understood within a
developmental context. Some characteristics that are
often interpreted as symptoms of a mental disorder
(e.g., impulsivity, egocentricity) could possibly
reflect normal adolescent development. Thus, if we
are to understand mental disorders among detained
youths, it is necessary to also understand adolescent
development. Also, as noted by a developmental psy-
chopathology perspective, psychopathology may take
multiple paths and lead to multiple outcomes. This
principle emphasizes the importance of examining
various possible outcomes of mental disorders on
adolescent offenders’ functioning within the youth
justice system and the community, as well as reassess-
ing psychopathology at different points, as symptoms
may change and fluctuate.Implications for Service Delivery
Grisso has noted three primary reasons to be concerned
about mental disorders among juvenile offenders. First,
the youth justice system has a legal responsibility to
provide mental health services to youths who are in
their custody. Just as youth detention and correctional
centers must provide medical services to youths with
conditions such as diabetes or heart disease, so too must
they provide mental health services to mentally ill ado-
lescents who are in need of treatment.
Second, the youth justice system has due process
obligations to youths with mental disorders. Specif-
ically, jurisdictions have increasingly required that
juvenile defendants be competent to stand trial (also
called competent to proceed to adjudication or fit to494 ———Mental Health Needs of Juvenile OffendersM-Cutler (Encyc)-45463.qxd 11/18/2007 12:43 PM Page 494