Treatment needs of girls in the juvenile justice system: Examining girls with varying levels of internalizing problems

• Main Author: Goldstein, Naomi Elizabeth
• Language: ENG
• Published: ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst 2000
• Subjects: Psychotherapy|Criminology
• Online Access: https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations/AAI9978499

This study examined patterns of comorbidity in 232 girls in state-operated juvenile justice facilities. It was hypothesized that the more depression and/or anxiety a girl reported, the more substance use, family discord, and suicidal ideation she would also report. Simple findings revealed that both depression and anxiety were related to the three dependent variables. However, upon controlling for the relationships among depression, anxiety, and externalizing behaviors, more specific relationships were revealed: depression independently predicted substance use and suicidal ideation; anxiety alone did not predict any of the three dependent variables; and externalizing behaviors independently predicted substance use and family discord. Age, ethnicity, lifetime traumatic events, and levels of delinquency were explored as potential moderating variables, but no interactions were found. The current research helps clarify relationships among the targeted problems, and it provides some initial information for developing multifaceted treatment programs for girls in the juvenile justice system.