Mental Health and Juvenile Justice: A Review of Prevalence, Promising Practices, and Areas for Improvement

This brief reviews the prevalence of mental health issues among youth in the juvenile justice system, including: 1) the types of disorders among youth across juvenile justice settings, 2) the rates of adversity and trauma among these youth, and 3) the impact of these disorders on the system. The brief describes areas where the juvenile justice system can improve mental health supports and services for youth involved in or at risk of involvement in the system, along with recommendations for making such improvements.