Alcohol abuse in Russian delinquent adolescents

INTRODUCTION: Adolescent delinquency and alcohol abuse have become a growing concern in Russia. Psychopathology, a dysfunctional family and specific personality factors have all been linked to addictive and antisocial behavior. Since delinquent youth represent a specific risk group, where alcohol misuse tends to be more pronounced than in the general population, the objectives of this study were: 1) to compare differences in personality and parenting factors, and in psychopathology in juvenile delinquents with and without alcohol abuse; and 2) to evaluate the associations between alcohol abuse, personality and parenting factors, after controlling for comorbid psychopathology. METHODS: Psychopathology, including alcohol abuse, was assessed by means of a psychiatric interview in 229 Russian incarcerated male juvenile delinquents. In addition, alcohol use, personality, and parenting factors were assessed by self-reports. RESULTS: Alcohol-abusing delinquents (n=138) scored significantly higher on novelty seeking and maternal emotional warmth and reported higher levels of psychopathology, as compared to nonalcohol-abusing delinquents (n=91). Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that personality and parenting factors were significantly related to alcohol abuse, even after controlling for comorbid psychopathology. CONCLUSION: Alcohol-abusing delinquents are at risk for a wide spectrum of psychiatric disorders. Alcohol abuse is associated with personality and parenting factors independently of comorbid psychopathology. Early interventions with high-risk youths may help to reduce their psychiatric problems and alcohol abuse.     

Trauma and dissociation in delinquent adolescents

OBJECTIVES: To assess history of trauma and dissociation in a group of juvenile delinquents and to assess how adolescents would respond to a structured interview for dissociative symptoms. METHOD: Sixty-four adolescents in juvenile probation hall participated in 2 investigational sessions in 1996-1997. For session 1 they answered the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), the Response Evaluation Measure for Youth-71 (REMY-71), and the Weinberger Adjustment Inventory. For session 2 they were given the Childhood Trauma Interview (CTI) and the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Dissociative Disorders (SCID-D). RESULTS: In this sample 28.3% met criteria for a dissociative disorder and 96.8% endorsed a history of traumatic events. There were significant positive correlations between CTI and CTQ trauma scores and SCID-D and REMY-71 dissociative symptoms. All dissociative symptoms were endorsed, but depersonalization was the most common experience. There was a lack of congruence between the different methods of assessing dissociation. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides support for an early link between history of trauma and dissociation. Adolescents were able to answer questions from a structured interview assessing dissociation.     

Self-harming behavior in incarcerated male delinquent adolescents

This report describes self-harming behavior in males in a juvenile incarceration center. Three groups of adolescents were examined: self-harmers, those referred for a psychiatric examination, and the incarcerated general population. Compared to the general population, the youth in the two mental health groups were younger, had greater family needs, had more educational problems, were more likely to have escaped from a previous placement, and committed more rule violations. The self-harming group, when compared with the psychiatrically referred group, had a greater number of prior offenses, were more disruptive in school, performed worse on a problem-solving task, and committed more rule violations. Issues of psychopathology and treatment are discussed.     

A survey of adolescents with epilepsy

Thirty-four adolescents with epilepsy, controls matched for age and sex (A) and controls matched for age, sex and general ability (B), were studied. The adolescents with epilepsy were more likely to arrive at school by car or taxi and to have more difficult behaviour in class. Competitive sports were less popular with them and significantly fewer anticipated ever driving a car. Illness and parental marital problems were not a feature of their families. Their comprehension of reading material was significantly poorer than that of control group A. Within the group, the lowest over-all reading scores were found in children with myoclonic seizures, partial seizures with secondary generalisation, or generalised tonic-clonic seizures; and in those whose EEG findings included two-per-second spike and wave, photosensitivity, generalised slow waves, or generalised spike and wave of non-specific frequency. Right focal slow waves, sharp waves and spikes on EEG were associated with problems of comprehension, even when the over-all reading score was acceptable.     

Chronic self-destructive behavior in normative and delinquent adolescents.

The Chronic Self-Destructiveness Scale (CSDS) and the Psychopathic Deviate and Hypomania scales of the MMPI were administered to 112 delinquent adolescents and to 141 high-school students. Both male and female delinquents reported significantly higher levels of chronic self-destructiveness. Significant positive correlations between the CSDS and the MMPI scales were found for all groups. The results indicate that delinquent males have high levels of chronic self-destructiveness attributable to these personality variables; however, other cultural variables may intervene. The results for delinquent females were similar to those of high-school males. Thus, these findings raise questions about societal influences and the definitions of delinquent behavior.     

男性违法青少年的家庭亲密度和适应性研究

目的 调查违法青少年尤其是暴力违法青少年家庭亲密度和适应性的特点及暴力犯罪和家庭亲密度和适应性的相关性.方法 在未成年人劳动教养所中随机选取男性暴力违法青少年131例和非暴力违法青少年98例,以181例普通高中男生为对照,进行MOAS、家庭亲密度和适应性量表评定.结果 违法青少年实际家庭亲密度显著低于正常对照组,且对亲密度的不满意程度显著高于对照组.与暴力组相比,非暴力违法组对家庭适应性的不满意程度更高.MOAS与家庭适应性呈负相关.结论 违法青少年尤其暴力违法青少年家庭亲密度和适应性不足,家庭的情感联系薄弱,需要进行适当干预.     

Identification of neuropsychological subtypes in a sample of delinquent adolescents

Although research has long recognized a relationship between neurological dysfunction and delinquency, the nature of this relationship is unclear. Based on the theory that there may be clusters of delinquents with different types of neurological dysfunction which contribute to the delinquency in different ways, the present research attempted to identify these subtypes using neuropsychological testing. Seventy-seven such adolescents were administered the full Luria-Nebraska Neuropsychological Battery-III (LNNB-III) and a battery of assessments measuring behavioral functioning and substance use. A Hierarchical Cluster Analysis yielded four identifiable neuropsychological clusters: Verbal/Left-Hemispheric Deficits, Subcortical-Frontal Deficits, Mild-Verbal Deficits, and Normals. The distinctiveness of these subtypes was confirmed by univariate analyses. Results further indicated that the number of LNNB scales that were in the abnormal range differed per subtype, with each subtype differing significantly from one another. These neuropsychological subtypes were found to be associated with specific psychological and behavioral problems.     

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. By means of semi-structured psychiatric assessment (Child Assessment Schedule), developmental interview of the parents and self-report instruments, we assessed the psychiatric status of 72 delinquent adolescents, adjudicated before the Juvenile Court of Antwerp (Belgium). A follow-up of criminal status after eight months was conducted. Self-report questionnaires by the subjects did not differentiate recidivists from non-recidivists, while parent questionnaires did. Through a semi-structured interview, we found that a diagnosis of conduct disorder significantly predicts recidivism, while subjects with ADHD and substance abuse show a tendency towards more recidivism. We were unable, however, due to the small number of subjects showing a psychiatric disorder (e. g. ADHA and PTSD) unrelated to conduct disorder, to assess the relative contribution of these disorders to the recidivism rate. This study found that psychiatric assessment of delinquent adolescents could be of help in predicting recidivism. The necessity of gathering information from parents and teachers is demonstrated. Future research should include a more extensive group of a delinquent adolescent and should focus on the effect of therapeutic interventions. Received: 29 June 1999 / Accepted: 1 February 2000     

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. After 2 years, information on recidivism was retrieved from the official records for the 64 subjects who underwent an initial assessment and the 36 who did not but who were adjudicated during the same period. The statistical model of future offending was able to explain 44.0% of the variance through the combination of (1) diagnosis of conduct disorder, (2) absence of major depression, and (3) low verbal IQ as scored on a standard intelligence test. It is concluded that specific aspects of psychiatric and psychological assessment can help to predict recidivist offending in delinquent adolescents. Future research should focus on the possibilities of implementing these findings in the development of prevention and rehabilitation programs.     

Reinforcement sensitivity, coping, and delinquent behaviour in adolescents

Since 1964, the relationship between personality and criminal behaviour has been extensively studied. However, studies, which have examined the Eysenckian dimensions of extraversion, neuroticism and psychoticism have produced mixed results. Gray's [Gray, J. A. (1970). The psychophysiological basis of introversion-extroversion. Behavior Research and Therapy, 8, 249-266] Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory provides an alternative conceptualisation of the role of personality in criminal behaviour, and has generally produced more consistent findings. This study aimed to examine the relationship between reinforcement sensitivity and delinquent behaviour in a sample of 259 adolescents, and to examine the role that coping strategies play in this relationship. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that use of problem solving mediated the relationship between reward sensitivity and delinquent behaviour, while use of non-productive coping strategies moderated the relationship between BAS drive and delinquency. Consequently, it was suggested that coping skills training could be an effective early intervention for delinquent behaviour.     

Social cognitive skills and behavioural adjustment of delinquent adolescents in treatment

Social cognitive skills (i.e. problem-solving, self-control, locus of control, rational attributions) were examined in aggressive and non-aggressive delinquent youths at two levels of behavioural functioning (high versus low). Behavioural functioning was defined in terms of the youths' standing within a 10-level behavioural token economy programme. Inventories and questionnaires were used to measure the skills of interest. A significant interaction was found on problem-solving skills, with higher functioning, non-aggressive youths performing better than their lower functioning counterparts, while no differences occurred within the aggressive groups. No differences were obtained on the other measures.     

Generalization training and the transfer of prosocial behavior in delinquent adolescents

This study examines the role of generalization training in the transfer of behavior to extra-training settings. Four residents of a treatment center for delinquent adolescents participated in seven 30-min training sessions in which undergraduate students reinforced (praise and redeemable points) positive comments made to peers. For two subjects the same undergraduate trainers conducted all sessions which involved a single activity (ping-pong). For the other two subjects, new trainers and new activities were introducedduring each session. Observation in the residential home was carried out before, after, and during training. “Home” observations revealed that generalization-training subjects showed greater increases over baseline performance during training and post-training periods than constant-training subjects.     

Differences in psychological symptoms and self-competencies in non-suicidal self-injurious Flemish adolescents

The aim of the present study was to examine differences in psychological symptoms and sense of self-competence between adolescents with and without non-suicidal self-injurious behavior. We collected data in a sample of 281 Flemish adolescents. Psychological symptoms and self-competencies were assessed by means of the Youth Self-Report (YSR) and NSSI was assessed using the Self-Harm Inventory (SHI-22). Results showed significant differences between adolescents with and without NSSI on all psychopathological subscales. Furthermore, adolescents engaging in NSSI reported significantly lower scores on social competence, but equal levels on other competencies. Results revealed that externalizing problems and attention/thought/social problems are significantly associated with NSSI. Results also showed that having a higher score on aggressive behavior or thought problems increases the chance of belonging to the NSSI group; whereas a higher score on the social competence scale decreases the chance of belonging to the NSSI group. Clinical implications of these findings are discussed.     

Conceptualizing structure in a day treatment program for delinquent adolescents.

While effective limit-setting is essential to the treatment of delinquents, the burden of providing the necessary structure is likely to be too great for the staff worker to sustain on his own. A program is described in which structure was conceptualized as existing simultaneously at different levels--the physical space, the programmatic organization, and the worker-patient bond--thereby providing programmatic support to the worker in his relationship to patients.     

Reintegrating institutionalized mental retardates in the community: A descriptive survey

Communities are giving relatively little attention to the problem of reintegrating institutionalized mental retardates into their home communities. Findings indicate that 25 percent of a group of institutionalized retardates may be capable of being reintegrated into community living. These retardates appear to be brighter, have been institutionalized a shorter period of time, and are in more consistent contact with their homes than those considered terminal cases. The data suggest that many retardates possess a variety of skills valuable to community adjustment, but that the lack of adequate community services may prohibit their leaving the institution.