Assessing the Mental Health Status of Youth in Juvenile Justice Settings. Juvenile Justice Bulletin

摘要

Serious mental health and substance use disorders can interfere with the rehabilitation of youth who come into contact with the juvenile justice system and increase their risk for recidivism. Too often, the needs of these youth have gone unrecognized and untreated because of inadequate screening and assessment. One obstacle to assessing the mental health needs of youth in the juvenile justice system has been the dearth of reliable, easy-to-use assessment instruments. This Bulletin reports the results of a study of the Voice DISC-IV, a version of the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children (DISC) that is self-administered using a computer and headphones. The DISC is an extensively tested child and adolescent diagnostic interview that has been evaluated in clinical and community settings.