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. 2004 Apr;61(4):403-10.
doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.61.4.403.

Posttraumatic stress disorder and trauma in youth in juvenile detention

Karen M Abram  1 , Linda A Teplin, Devon R Charles, Sandra L Longworth, Gary M McClelland, Mina K Dulcan
Affiliations

Posttraumatic stress disorder and trauma in youth in juvenile detention

Karen M Abram et al. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2004 Apr.

Abstract

Objective: To determine prevalence estimates of exposure to trauma and 12-month rates of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among juvenile detainees by demographic subgroups (sex, race/ethnicity, and age).

Design: Epidemiologic study of juvenile detainees. Master's level clinical research interviewers administered the PTSD module of the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children, version IV (DISC-IV), to randomly selected detainees.

Setting: A large, temporary detention center for juveniles in Cook County, Illinois (which includes Chicago and surrounding suburbs).

Participants: Randomly selected, stratified sample of 898 African American, non-Hispanic white, and Hispanic youth (532 males, 366 females, aged 10-18 years) arrested and newly detained.

Main outcome measures: Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children, version IV.

Results: Most participants (92.5%) had experienced 1 or more traumas (mean, 14.6 incidents; median, 6 incidents). Significantly more males (93.2%) than females (84.0%) reported at least 1 traumatic experience; 11.2% of the sample met criteria for PTSD in the past year. More than half of the participants with PTSD reported witnessing violence as the precipitating trauma.

Conclusion: Trauma and PTSD seem to be more prevalent among juvenile detainees than in community samples. We recommend directions for research and discuss implications for mental health policy.

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References

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    1. Teplin LA, Abram KM, McClelland GM, Dulcan MK, Mericle AA. Psychiatric disorders in youth in juvenile detention. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2002;59:1133–1143. - PMC - PubMed
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