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New research from the University of Kansas asks if mental health issues like depression and anxiety are associated with specific charges faced by juveniles incarcerated in the United States.

While the U.S. imprisons a larger share of its population than any other country, juvenile justice tends to be more reform-oriented than the adult criminal justice system. Such research can help clinicians develop therapeutic approaches with more precision.

"The goal is to reduce recidivism, not to be solely punitive," said Paula Fite, professor and chair of clinical child psychology at the University of Kansas, lead author of the new research. "Really, the goal is to keep the community safe, avoid recidivism and help a kid make better choices so they don't get caught up in the system. One of the main things we need to address, though, is mental health issues."

Fite sought to know if particular charges are associated with types of psychopathology—specifically depression and anxiety. She was joined in the study by KU graduate students Jeevan Bains and Selena Baca.

Their findings were recently in the Children and Youth Services Review.

For all juvenile prisoners, the researchers discovered high rates of depression and anxiety.

"What we're finding is that it doesn't overall really matter what the charge is," Fite said. "We consistently see high rates of mental health concerns—depression and anxiety—among youth who are detained. There are various reasons for this. Some say experiencing mental health issues puts youth at a heightened risk to engage in problematic behaviors, because they may be less engaged in societal norms. They're not thinking clearly, or they may act impulsively or respond poorly to stress."

Fite acknowledged that delinquent behaviors also could drive guilt, worry or distress, and those things can lead to mounting mental health concerns.

"So, it's probably bidirectional," Fite said. "There's not a clear 'chicken-or-egg' answer, but the two are definitely linked."

Fite said it's vital to address mental health concerns not just after youth become involved with the system, but before. She said prevention efforts, community-based supports and early intervention can reduce recidivism.

"Once youth are detained, though, that can actually be an opportunity—because for many, it's the first time their mental health issues are formally recognized," said the KU researcher. "In Kansas and in many other places, the juvenile system often becomes the first point of contact for youth receiving mental health care."

Providers who work with incarcerated youth recognize that there's a shortage of resources for mental health services in the community, she said, so the justice system ends up being a critical access point.

The KU team parsed data from 276 youth from juvenile detention centers in the Midwest aged 11–17, who voluntarily answered questionnaires and provided demographic data to the researchers, which were then matched to categories of criminal charge. From there they analyzed the data with statistical software.

More than 35% of participants reported clinically significant symptoms of depression, and more than 26% reported elevated symptoms of anxiety. The researchers did look at whether certain types of offenses were associated with different levels of anxiety or depression.

"There were some differences—for example, youth with arson-related offenses were associated with somewhat elevated levels of depression—but overall, the takeaway is that elevated mental health concerns are present across all types of charges," Fite said. "It's really important not to interpret the data as suggesting that only certain groups of youth need support."

Fite said her findings show mental health concerns are widespread among detained youth.

"Screening and intervention should be standard practice in all detention settings, not just targeted to specific offenses," said the KU researcher. "Ultimately, if we want to prevent recidivism and help youth reintegrate successfully, we have to take their mental health seriously."