News Release, 8 August 2002
Young offenders are three times as likely to have a mental health problem as other young people, according to a new report from the Mental Health Foundation, and yet these problems are often neglected. At a time when youth offending is high on the political agenda, the Mental Health Foundation states that meeting these young people's mental health needs is critical if youth offending is to be properly addressed.
The report The Mental Health of Young Offenders is launched today by the Mental Health Foundation as part of Community Care magazine's Changing Minds: Better Mental Health Care for Children campaign. This is the first of four reports examining the mental health needs of four key groups of young people who are at particular risk of developing mental health difficulties. The other groups are looked-after children, homeless young people and children with emotional and behavioural difficulties. Following wide consultation on the issues, a final report covering all four groups, in the context of current policy and practice developments, will be published in the spring of 2003.
The most common mental health problems for young offenders are emotional disorders, conduct disorders and attentional disorders. Substance abuse, which can cause or exacerbate mental health problems, is common, with some studies finding that over 50% of young offenders are affected.
Ruth Lesirge, chief executive of the Mental Health Foundation, said: "While young offenders seem to be a focus for retribution in society, many have enduring mental health needs which are simply not being met. If this situation is not addressed, not only will these young people continue to be let down by services, they are also more likely to continue offending. It is very difficult for someone to change their behaviour while they have substantial mental health problems."
Young offenders have high rates of mental health problems for several reasons:
- Experiences which may lead to offending, such as childhood hyperactivity, erratic parenting, over-harsh discipline and growing up in stressful families or neighbourhoods, are also common in young people with mental health problems.
- Involvement with the criminal justice system places young people under stress, and mental health problems are highest for young people in custody - up to 81% in some studies.
- Young offenders are more likely to engage in risky behaviour, which can be stressful in itself.
Detection rates for young offenders' mental health problems are extremely poor, especially for internalising disorders such as self-harm and depression. There are no widely-used methods of mental health screening within the English youth justice system. Even where mental health needs are identified, expertise and resources are lacking, especially within custody. There are problems with providing services within the youth justice system and with referring young people to existing services such as the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS).
The Mental Health Foundation recommends that:
- There should be a review of detention and sentencing protocol with a view to fewer young offenders being detained in prison.
- There should be a specialist mental health worker in all youth offending teams.
- Police stations should have a checklist of factors that indicate predisposition to mental health problems, so that young people who meet the criteria can be quickly referred for assessment.
- Service providers, including the NHS, social services and youth offending community services, must develop closer working links. These should include better use of 'tracking' systems, development of new, multi-disciplinary criteria and setting-up of partnership projects that have joint working arrangements.
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