Assessing Mental Health Problems Among Serious Delinquents Committed to the California Youth Authority, 1997-1999 (ICPSR 4337)

Time Period(s) View help for Time Period(s)

Date of Collection View help for Date of Collection

Study Purpose View help for Study Purpose

The purpose of the study was to explore the usefulness of the California Youth Authority's (CYA) mental health and substance abuse screening process for identifying wards for whom mental health intervention is needed and for profiling the aggregate mental health treatment needs of incoming wards. The study focused on the ability of the instruments in the Treatment Needs Assessment (TNA) battery to identify wards whose mental health problems rose to the level that services were considered appropriate during the next 12 to 18 months of their CYA stays, but who may have been missed by standard clinical processes.

Study Design View help for Study Design

In order to explore the usefulness of the Treatment Needs Assessment (TNA) battery in identifying wards needing mental health intervention, wards who completed screening questionnaires were followed to determine whether they were subsequently placed in mental health programs, prescribed medications used to treat serious mental health problems, and/or identified by staff as requiring these services (placed on a waiting list, identified as having suicidal tendencies, etc.). The study consisted of 836 wards (664 males and 172 females) who completed the TNA battery. The TNA battery included four self-report assessments to be filled out by the ward: the Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist--Youth Self Report (YSR), the Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument: Second Version (MAYSI-2), the Weinberger Adjustment Inventory (WAI), and the Drug Experience Questionnaire (DEQ). The TNA Questionnaires are administered during the educational testing phase of the clinic process with 8 to 15 wards at a time by casework staff at the reception centers. They are then machine scored, using optical mark reader (Scantron) technology and a tailor-made scoring program. The scoring program produces a hard-copy printout that is forwarded to casework staff for review. Information on mental health evaluations, treatment, and medications as obtained from hard-copy files maintained at ward institutions and in the CYA central office. The data on mental health treatment were used to determine whether the TNA instruments provided an early "heads up" regarding treatment needs.

Sample View help for Sample

When the study was conducted, from October 1997 through June 1999, approximately 5,000 wards were in the custody of the California Youth Authority (CYA). During this time period, 978 wards were committed to the CYA. Commitment to the CYA is expected to be limited to juveniles who commit very serious crimes, who have extensive criminal histories, and/or who have failed (often multiple times) at local interventions. The sample consisted of two intake cohorts of wards committed to the California Youth Authority (CYA) who completed the Treatment Needs Assessment (TNA) battery during the diagnostic clinic process. The male cohort (n = 664) consisted of wards entering commitment to the CYA who completed the TNA battery from October 1998 through February 1999. The female cohort (n = 172) consisted of wards entering commitment to the CYA who completed the TNA battery from October 1997 through June 1999. The 142 wards committed to CYA between October 1997 and June 1999 who did not complete the TNA battery are not included in the study.

Universe View help for Universe

All juveniles committed to the California Youth Authority (CYA) from October 1997 through June 1999.

Unit(s) of Observation View help for Unit(s) of Observation

Data Source View help for Data Source

Data Type(s) View help for Data Type(s)

Mode of Data Collection View help for Mode of Data Collection

Description of Variables View help for Description of Variables

These data contain demographic variables on the wards including age, sex, ethnicity, date of birth, age at intake, and county of residence at commitment. Further variables on the wards include primary commitment offense, date of first admission, court of commitment, county of commitment, where the Treatment Needs Assessment (TNA) was administered, the reason for incarceration, total prior offenses, and types of prior offenses. Variables related to the mental health treatment that a ward received include any intensive treatment program, any specialized treatment program, any prescriptions for psychtropic medications, suicide risk assessment results, and global assessment of functioning levels. Variables related to ward behavior include ward assaults, staff assaults, sexual misconduct, suicidal activity, aggressive behavior and other misconduct handled through the Disciplinary Decision-Making System (DDMS). Finally, the scale scores from the Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist--Youth Self Report (YSR), the Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument: Second Version (MAYSI-2), the Weinberger Adjustment Inventory (WAI), and the Drug Experience Questionnaire (DEQ) are included.

Response Rates View help for Response Rates

Not applicable.

Presence of Common Scales View help for Presence of Common Scales

The Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist--Youth Self Report (YSR), the Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument: Second Version (MAYSI-2), the Weinberger Adjustment Inventory (WAI), and the Drug Experience Questionnaire (DEQ) were used.

Original Release Date View help for Original Release Date

2006-01-16

Version History View help for Version History

Weight View help for Weight

none