Unexamined Youth of the Juvenile Justice System: An Examination of the Prevalence of Unspecified Disruptive, Impulse-Control, and Conduct Disorder Diagnosis

The Juvenile Justice System (JJS) has a disproportionate number of youths with mental health concerns. Studies have shown that up to 98% of incarcerated youth have a mental illness diagnosis (Harzke et al., 2012). Multiple factors lead to high rates of diagnoses; one being that the juveniles who conduct delinquent acts have multiple mental health concerns which leads to the high rates of mental illness in the system. The second reason is a legal one; assigning a diagnosis can lead to a better understanding of the youth’s problems and needs, which helps to provide them the correct treatment (Haney-Caron, 2016). The aims of the current study were to explore an administrative sample provided by Harris County Juvenile Probation Department (HCJPD) and specifically examine youth with Unspecified Disruptive, Impulse-Control, and Conduct Disorder (UDICCD). Findings from aim 1 of the study identified gender differences in type of diagnosis the youth received. Results of aim 2 suggested that the youth from HCJPD could be stratified, based on the analyses presented here, into three classes: low-functioning, high-functioning, and internalizing classes. The statistical analyses used for aim 3 did not produce a result using the current data set due to technical difficulties. The implications of the current findings are discussed.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Arts

Level thesis:degree_level

Masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Psychology

Grantor

University of Houston

Year dc:date.issued

2019

Author dc:creator

• Kovalenko, Julia Dmitrievna

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Grigorenko, Elena L.

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Zvolensky, Michael J.
• Kulesz, Paulina A.

• Juvenile Justice System
• Unspecified Disruptive
• Impulse-Control
• Conduct disorder

Statement dc:rights

• The author of this work is the copyright owner. UH Libraries and the Texas Digital Library have their permission to store and provide access to this work. Further transmission, reproduction, or presentation of this work is prohibited except with permission of the author(s).

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/10657/5662

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:uh-ir.tdl.org:10657/5662