This bulletin examines the findings of the Northwestern Juvenile Project—a large-scale longitudinal study of youth detained at the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center in Chicago, IL. The authors discuss the findings related to the prevalence and persistence of psychiatric disorders in youth after detention. Key findings include:
- Five years after the first interview, more than 45 percent of male juveniles and nearly 30 percent of female juveniles had one or more psychiatric disorders.
- Substance use disorders were the most common and most likely to persist. Males had higher prevalence rates of substance use disorders over time.
- As compared to African Americans, non-Hispanic whites and Hispanics had higher rates of substance use disorders.
- Females had higher rates of depression over time.
Population of focus: Youth in contact with the Juvenile Justice system
Links to resource: Psychiatric Disorders in Youth After Detention (pdf)
Date: 2015
Organization: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention