Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry · May 2001
Mental health problems and service use among female juvenile offenders: their relationship to criminal history.
To describe (1) the level of mental health problems and lifetime use of specialty mental health services and special education programs among incarcerated female juvenile offenders and (2) how these indices relate to their criminal history. ⋯ A substantial proportion of female juvenile offenders merit a mental health evaluation. Interventions for these high-risk youths should include an assessment for substance use disorders because of the association of recidivism and substance use problems in this population.