بزهکاری، افسردگی و اختلال مصرف مواد در دختران نوجوان درگیر رفاه

Abstract Although adolescents with delinquency are known to have higher-than-average rates of depression or substance use disorder (SUD), research on the topic is inconsistent. It remains unclear weather depression or SUD leads to delinquency, whether delinquency leads to depression or SUD, or whether there is bi-directionality. Utilizing the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (Wave I: 2008–2009; Wave II: 18 months later: N = 5872), we used logistic regression to predict depression from delinquency (and vice versa), and SUD from delinquency (and vice versa). After inclusion of control variables, we found that females with minor theft in Wave I were more than 4 times as likely (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 4.34; 95% CI: 1.10–17.16) as females without minor theft to be depressed in Wave II, and those with public disorder in Wave I were almost 3 times as likely (aOR = 2.74; 95% CI: 1.03–7.30) as those without public disorder to have SUD in Wave II. Overall delinquency also predicted depression or SUD, and SUD predicted delinquency. Practitioners could address risk for depression or SUD among child welfare-involved adolescent females by focusing on overall delinquency or on specific types of delinquency (minor theft for depression and public disorder for SUD) and by offering interventions (e.g., cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy) that have been shown to be effective in preventing depression or SUD. In addition, with respect to our finding that SUD predicts delinquency among adolescent females, practitioners can help prevent delinquency by offering interventions (e.g., intensive outpatient treatments) that have well documented effectiveness in addressing SUD.

Conclusions Among adolescent females, we found that specific types of delinquent behavior in Wave I (minor theft, as well as overall delinquency) predict depression in Wave II, and that specific types of delinquent behavior in Wave I (public disorder, as well as overall delinquency) predict SUD in Wave II even after adjusting for a wide variety of control variables. More specifically, in relation to particular types of delinquent behavior, adolescent females with minor theft in Wave I were more than 4 times as likely as those without delinquency to be depressed in Wave II, and that females with public disorder in Wave I were almost 3 times as likely as those without delinquency to have SUD in Wave II. We also found that SUD in Wave I predicts delinquency in Wave II, for females with SUD were more than 3 times as likely as other females to have subsequent delinquency. In short, our research has begun to untangle the complicated relationships between delinquency, depression, and SUD in adolescent females (who are child welfare-involved). Practitioners could address risk for depression and SUD among adolescent females by using the NSCAW-II delinquency assessment to screen for overall delinquency or for specific types of delinquency (minor theft for depression and public disorder for SUD) and by offering interventions (e.g., cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy) that have been shown to be effective in preventing depression or SUD. In addition, with respect to our finding that SUD predicts delinquency among adolescent females, practitioners can help prevent juvenile or criminal justice system involvement by offering interventions (e.g., intensive outpatient treatments) that have well documented effectiveness in addressing SUD among child welfare-involved adolescent females who have been identified as having SUD. Efforts to assess and address SUD, depression, and delinquency are needed especially in child welfare-involved populations because of the well-documented link between child maltreatment and these adverse risk factors and outcomes.