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A long‐term follow‐up study of adolescent psychiatric in‐patients. Part II. Predictors of delinquency
Author(s) -
Kjelsberg E.,
Dahl A. A.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
acta psychiatrica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.849
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1600-0447
pISSN - 0001-690X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0447.1999.tb07218.x
Subject(s) - juvenile delinquency , term (time) , psychiatry , psychology , medicine , clinical psychology , quantum mechanics , physics
A total of 932 adolescent psychiatric in‐patients were followed up 15–33 years after hospitalization by record linkage to the National Register of Criminality. On the basis of the hospital records the patients were rediagnosed according to DSM‐IV and scored on data postulated to be predictors of later delinquency. The factors were investigated by KaplanMeyer survival analysis and Cox regression. Cox analysis showed that, in males, main diagnosis (relative risk (RR) = 2.9, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.0–4.2), verbal abuse at home (RR = 1.5, CI = 1.1–2.0), disciplinary problems at school (RR = 1.7, CI = 1.2–2.5), and violating ward rules during hospitalization (RR = 1.6, CI = 1.2–2.2) were strong and independent predictors of delinquency. In females, main diagnosis (RR = 2.6, CI = 1.6–4.2), concurrent psychoactive substance use disorder (RR = 2.9, CI= 1.9–4.2), verbal abuse at home (RR= 1.5, CI= 1.0–2.1), and disciplinary problems at school (RR=1.6, CI = 1.1–2.5) were strong and independent predictors of delinquency. Among males who violated ward rules and received a diagnosis of disruptive behaviour disorder, psychoactive substance use disorder or personality disorder at index hospitalization, as many as 77.6% had a criminal record at follow‐up.