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Recidivism and Psychiatric Symptom Outcomes in a Juvenile Mental Health Court
Author(s) -
Ramirez Aaron M.,
Andretta James R.,
Barnes Michael E.,
Woodland Malcolm H.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
juvenile and family court journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.155
H-Index - 19
eISSN - 1755-6988
pISSN - 0161-7109
DOI - 10.1111/jfcj.12025
Subject(s) - recidivism , mental health , juvenile , intervention (counseling) , psychiatry , psychology , juvenile delinquency , clinical psychology , medicine , biology , genetics
Few researchers have examined outcomes in J uvenile M ental H ealth C ourts. Recidivism rates were assessed among 108 predominantly African American (95.3%) youth. Ages ranged from 12 to 18 ( M = 15.85, SD = 1.45). Substantially fewer re‐convictions, along with re‐arrests, were exhibited among the treatment group ( n = 54) compared to the control group ( n = 54) after one year of participation or probation supervision. Psychiatric symptomatology among 21 youth was assessed pre‐ and post‐ intervention using the C omprehensive B ehavior R ating S cales‐ S elf R eport. C ohen's d effect sizes indicated substantial reductions in mental health symptoms (.33 ≥ d ≤ .88). Results are consistent with the previous studies of problem‐solving court efficacy.