Get Out and Stay Out! Treating Comorbid Mental Health Symptoms in the Juvenile Justice System

Abstract

An estimated 60-70% of adolescents who are detained within the juvenile justice system meet criteria for a mental health disorder; however, the majority of these youths do not receive mental health services. Evidence-based practices in the juvenile justice population are often resource-intensive and require familial involvement. The purpose the current project was to provide preliminary evidence for the efficacy of an adapted ACT-based intervention for adolescent males in juvenile detention. The six-session intervention (known as “BREAK”) was disseminated to 130 adolescent boys 14 to 17 years of age residing in a juvenile detention center in Pima County. Self-report, interview, and criminal record data were compared between intervention participants and non-treatment control participants (the “standard of care” or “SOC” condition). Mental health symptoms, ACT concepts, and recidivism rates were measured.