Mental Health Problems Among Male Offenders and Youths with Conduct Problems

Abstract

Background

Mental health problems among youth, are frequent especially in offenders and as such is very important to identify as early as possible.

Objectives

To estimate and compare level of some mental health problems between three groups of male youths: juvenile offenders in correctional center, adolescents with conduct problems and university students.

Method

It is cross-sectional quantitative study. The sample consisted of three male groups: 41offenders placed in one correctional center (Mean age = 18.02; SD = 2.20); 41 male students of secondary school with conduct problems (Mean age = 16.97; SD = 61) and 42 male university students randomly selected (Mean age = 19.7; SD = 1.77). They filled questionnaire MAYSI–2. Data processing was done with SPSS 21.0 and Microsoft Excel 2013.

Results

Juvenile offenders in correctional center scored significantly higher than other two groups of youth in alcohol/substance abuse subscale (P = 001), Suicidal ideation subscale (P = 048) and traumatic stress subscale (P = 003) based on Kruskal-Wallis Test. Juvenile offenders in correctional center scored higher but non-significantly in angry/irritable and depression/anxious subscales. Students of secondary school with conduct problems scored higher but non-significantly in thought disturbance and somatic subscales.

Conclusion

Male juvenile offenders have significantly more mental health difficulties. Mental health needs of youths in Kosovo (especially juvenile offenders) seem to be numerous and is important to be addressed properly.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.