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Loss Due to Death and Its Association With Mental Disorders in Juvenile Detainees

NCJ Number
249422
Journal
Juvenile and Family Court Journal Volume: 66 Issue: 3 Dated: Summer 2015 Pages: 1-18
Author(s)
Julie Laken Harnisher; Karen Abram; Jason Washburn; Marquita Stokes; Nicole Azores-Gococo; Linda Teplin
Date Published
2015
Length
18 pages
Annotation
This study investigated the prevalence of loss due to death and its association with mental disorders in a random sample of 898 newly detained adolescents in Chicago, Illinois.
Abstract
Nearly 90 percent of youth experienced the loss of an important person; most had also experienced a "high-risk" loss (e.g., loss due to violence, sudden loss). Minority youth were at particular risk. Youth with any loss or multiple losses were more likely to have mood disorders and ADHD/behavioral disorders, respectively, than youth who had no such losses. Interventions focusing on modifiable protective factors following loss may increase positive outcomes in this vulnerable population. (Publisher abstract modified)