The 1999 Surgeon General’s Report on Mental Health found that approximately 20% of children and adolescents in the general population are experiencing a mental disorder.  Approximately 10% of children and adolescents experience mental illness severe enough to cause impairment at home, school or in the community.  Yet despite these compelling statistics, it is estimated that less than half will receive the treatment that they need. 

For youth involved with the juvenile justice system, the situation is much worse.  A recent study, click here, conducted by the National Center for Mental Health and Juvenile Justice (2006) found that 70% of youth in the juvenile justice system suffer from mental health disorders and that 27% of youth are experiencing disorders so severe that their ability to function is significantly impaired. 

The most commonly identified mental health disorders among the juvenile justice population are disruptive disorders and substance use disorders.  However, youth in the juvenile justice system also experience anxiety and mood disorders at a much higher rate than the general population.  For many youth, their mental health status is complicated by the presence of more than one disorder.  In the 2006 NCMHJJ study, of those youth diagnosed with a mental disorder, approximately 79% met criteria for at least one other mental health diagnosis. 

Yes, although the research base on this is still developing.  The NCMHJJ study (2006) found that among youth with at least one mental health diagnosis, approximately 60 percent also met criteria for a substance use disorder.  Co-occurring substance use disorders were most common for youth with a diagnosis of disruptive disorder, although significant proportions of youth with anxiety disorders (52.3%) and mood disorders (61.3%) also had a co-occurring substance use disorder. 

Fortunately, over the last decade, a number of approaches have emerged to help the field better identify and respond to the mental health needs of youth. One of the most significant advances is the development of demonstrated effective interventions which are commonly referred to as Evidence-Based Practices:  interventions that involve standardized treatment and that have been shown, through controlled research, to result in improved outcomes across multiple research groups.

These interventions include improved psycho-social approaches, medication therapies, and family and community-based models that are well documented and proven effective for treating mental disorders among youth (Hoagwood, 2005).  The Blueprint for Change includes a comprehensive discussion of some of the most effective interventions for youth.  These include:

Home and Community-Based Models:
Multi-Systemic Therapy
Functional Family Therapy
Multi-Dimensional Treatment Foster Care

Psychosocial Therapies:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Brief Strategic Family Therapy
Aggression Replacement Therapy
Dialectical Behavior Therapy

Medication Therapies for treating:
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Depression
Certain Anxiety Disorders

The Blueprint for Change includes numerous examples of programs that provide mental health services to youth at key points of contact within the juvenile justice system.  These key points of contact include:

1. Initial Contact with Law Enforcement
2. Intake (Probation or Juvenile Court)
3. Secure Detention
4. Judicial Processing
5. Secure Juvenile Placement
6. Probation Supervision
7. Re-Entry

Descriptions of the programs highlighted in the Blueprint are available at http://www.ncmhjj.com/Blueprint/CIP_Examples.shtml.

Mental Health America (formerly known as the National Mental Health Association) recommends that if you or someone you know is in immediate crisis, contact the following organizations for information about 24 hour crisis services:

1. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline’s 24-hour toll-free crisis hotline, 1-800-273-8255, can put you in contact with your local crisis center that can tell you where to seek help in your immediate area.
   
   
2. The Child-Help USA crisis line (1-800-422-4453) assists both child and adult survivors of abuse, including sexual abuse.  The hotline, staffed by mental health professionals, also provides treatment referrals. 

If this is not a crisis situation, but there is a need for mental health evaluation and/or treatment, contact your local Mental Health America affiliate for information on available mental health services in your community.  A list of these organizations can be accessed by clicking here.