International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology

 

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First published on February 6, 2008
International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology 2008, doi:10.1177/0306624X07312950

Article

The Prevalence of Mental Disorders in a German Sample of Male Incarcerated Juvenile Offenders

Denis Köhler*, Hanna Heinzen, Günter Hinrichs, and Christian Huchzermeier

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: denis.koehler{at}uni-hamburg.de.


  Abstract
The current study investigated the prevalence of mental disorders among incarcerated juvenile offenders in Germany and sought to identify clinically relevant subgroups. In sum, 149 newly incarcerated male juvenile delinquents (M age = 19 years) were included. Diagnostic tools included the German version of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV and the Psychopathy Checklist–Screening Version. The most prevalent diagnoses in the sample included conduct disorders (81%), Cluster B personality disorders (up to 62%), and substance-related disorders (up to 60%). Moreover, psychopathic features were found among 21% of the participants. Cluster analysis distinguished three subgroups among this group of young offenders. The most problematic consisted of juveniles with multiple psychopathology, including antisocial traits, personality pathology, higher scores on the Psychopathy Checklist, as well as multiple substance abuse. Study outcomes are discussed in light of their implications for the development of effective treatment for juvenile offenders.


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