What kinds of mental health disorders do youth in the juvenile justice system typically experience?
The most commonly identified mental health disorders among the juvenile justice population are disruptive disorders and substance use disorders. However, youth in the juvenile justice system also experience anxiety and mood disorders at a much higher rate than the general population. For many youth, their mental health status is complicated by the presence of more than one disorder. In the 2006 NCMHJJ study, of those youth diagnosed with a mental disorder, approximately 79% met criteria for at least one other mental health diagnosis.
