Predicting recidivism in delinquent adolescents from psychological and psychiatric assessment.

An important but sparse body of research focuses on psychiatric disorders and/or psychological characteristics as predictors of recidivism in delinquent adolescents. Through detailed psychiatric and psychological assessment in 64 adjudicated male juvenile delinquents, the current study investigated the long-term relationships between psychopathology, intellectual functioning, and recidivism. Psychiatric diagnosis was based on the results of a semistructured interview conducted both with delinquents and their parents.

Eight month follow-up of delinquent adolescents: predictors of short-term outcome.

Clinicians working with young delinquents are concerned with finding methods to predict recidivism in these subjects. It has not been investigated yet to what extent psychiatric assessment can be of any help in this field. In this study, we investigated whether psychiatric assessment can help to predict recidivism in already delinquent adolescents.

A descriptive survey of Flemish delinquent adolescents.

Previous research has shown that delinquent adolescents are characterized by a number of psychiatric problems. Most of these assessments, however, have been conducted on incarcerated adolescents. By means of semi-structured assessment (Child Assessment Schedule) and self-report measures, we assessed psychiatric status in a group of 72 delinquent adolescents, adjudicated before the Juvenile Court of Antwerp, Belgium.