ERIC Number: ED495782
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2004-Aug
Pages: 8
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Assessing the Mental Health Status of Youth in Juvenile Justice Settings. Juvenile Justice Bulletin
Wasserman, Gail A.; Ko, Susan J.; McReynolds, Larkin S.
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
This Bulletin reports the results of a study that used the Voice DISC, a computerized, self-administered version of the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children (DISC), to screen for psychiatric disorders in youth newly admitted to juvenile assessment centers. The Voice DISC offers the following advantages for use in the juvenile justice system: minimal staff support requirements, immediate scoring that generates provisional diagnoses, and privacy that increases the likelihood of disclosure of sensitive personal information. This initial feasibility study demonstrates that a comprehensive, scientifically sound diagnostic instrument can be a valuable part of mental health assessment for youth in the juvenile justice system. Based on their findings and those of other researchers, the authors recommend best practices in assessing the mental health of juvenile offenders. This Bulletin provides guidance to juvenile justice professionals seeking to establish guidelines for mental health assessment in juvenile justice facilities. (Contains 5 tables and 8 endnotes.)
Descriptors: Program Effectiveness, Mental Health, Health Conditions, Feasibility Studies, Juvenile Justice, Clinical Psychology, Disability Identification, Residential Institutions, Research Methodology
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. 810 Seventh Street NW, Washington, DC 20531. Tel: 202-307-5911; Web site: http://ojjdp.ncjrs.org/publications/index.html
Publication Type: Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: Department of Justice, Washington, DC. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A