Browsing by Author "Lau, Katherine S. L."

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    Behavioral Health Care Needs, Detention-Based Care, and Criminal Recidivism at Community Reentry From Juvenile Detention: A Multisite Survival Curve Analysis
    (American Public Health Association, 2015-07) Aalsma, Matthew C.; White, Laura M.; Lau, Katherine S. L.; Perkins, Anthony; Monahan, Patrick; Grisso, Thomas; Pediatrics, School of Medicine
    OBJECTIVES: We examined the provision of behavioral health services to youths detained in Indiana between 2008 and 2012 and the impact of services on recidivism. METHOD: We obtained information about behavioral health needs, behavioral health treatment received, and recidivism within 12 months after release for 8363 adolescents (aged 12-18 years; 79.4% male). We conducted survival analyses to determine whether behavioral health services significantly affected time to recidivating. RESULTS: Approximately 19.1% of youths had positive mental health screens, and 25.3% of all youths recidivated within 12 months after release. Of youths with positive screens, 29.2% saw a mental health clinician, 16.1% received behavioral health services during detention, and 30.0% received referrals for postdetention services. Survival analyses showed that being male, Black, and younger, and having higher scores on the substance use or irritability subscales of the screen predicted shorter time to recidivism. Receiving a behavior precaution, behavioral health services in detention, or an assessment in the community also predicted shorter time to recidivating. CONCLUSIONS: Findings support previous research showing that behavioral health problems are related to recidivism and that Black males are disproportionately rearrested after detention.
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    Detained Adolescents: Mental Health Needs, Treatment Use, and Recidivism
    (AAPL, 2016-06) White, Laura M.; Lau, Katherine S. L.; Aalsma, Matthew C.; Department of Pediatrics, IU School of Medicine
    Objective: Although approximately 60%-70% of detained adolescents meet criteria for a mental disorder, few receive treatment upon community reentry. Given that mental health treatment can potentially reduce recidivism, the study examined detained adolescents’ mental health needs and their post-detention mental health treatment and recidivism. Method: Altogether, 1574 adolescents (<18 years) completed a mental health screener at a detention center. Scores on the screener, mental health treatment utilization (60-days post-detention), and recidivism (6-months post-detention) were measured. Results: About 82.2% of adolescents earned elevated scores on the mental health screener, but only 16.4% utilized treatment and 37.2% recidivated. Logistic regression models revealed adolescents with insurance and higher Angry-Irritable scores were significantly more likely to obtain treatment, whereas males, Black adolescents, older adolescents, and adolescents endorsing a trauma history were less likely. Black adolescents, insured adolescents, and adolescents with higher Alcohol/Drug Use scores were significantly more likely to recidivate. Mental health treatment increased the likelihood of recidivism. Discussion: The prevalence of mental health needs among DAs was high, but treatment utilization was low, with notable treatment disparities across race, gender, and age. The use of mental health treatment predicted recidivism, suggesting treatment may act as a proxy measure of mental health problems. Future research should assess the impact of timely and continuous mental health services on recidivism.
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    Examining the Influence of Ethnic/Racial Socialization on Aggressive Behaviors Among Juvenile Offenders
    (CSR Incorporated, 2016) Zapolski, Tamika C. B.; Garcia, Crystal A.; Jarjoura, G. Roger; Lau, Katherine S. L.; Aalsma, Matthew C.; Psychology, School of Science
    Risk assessment instruments are commonly used within the juvenile justice system to estimate a juvenile's likelihood of reoffending or engaging in aggressive or violent behavior. Although such instruments assess a broad range of factors, the influence of culture is often excluded. The current study examines the unique effect of ethnic/racial socialization on recent aggressive behaviors above and beyond three well-established risk and protective factors: delinquency history, moral disengagement, and social support. Participants were 95 juveniles who were either on probation or in detention centers in three Midwestern counties and who completed structured surveys related to personal experiences within and outside of the juvenile justice system. The findings provided partial support for our hypotheses: Consistent with previous findings, delinquency history and moral disengagement were significant predictors of recent aggressive behavior. Furthermore, when ethnic/racial socialization was added to the model, promotion of mistrust provided additional predictive validity for aggressive behavior above and beyond the other factors assessed. Based on these findings, the inclusion of education on culture may prove to be an important supplement to established intervention tools for juvenile offenders.
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    Mortality of Youth Offenders Along a Continuum of Justice System Involvement
    (Elsevier, 2016-03) Aalsma, Matthew C.; Lau, Katherine S. L.; Perkins, Anthony J.; Schwartz, Katherine; Tu, Wanzhu; Wiehe, Sarah E.; Monahan, Patrick; Rosenman, Marc B.; Department of Pediatrics, IU School of Medicine
    Introduction Black male youth are at high risk of homicide and criminal justice involvement. This study aimed to determine how early mortality among youth offenders varies based on race; gender; and the continuum of justice system involvement: arrest, detention, incarceration, and transfer to adult courts. Methods Criminal and death records of 49,479 youth offenders (ages 10–18 years at first arrest) in Marion County, Indiana, from January 1, 1999, to December 31, 2011, were examined. Statistical analyses were completed in November 2014. Results From 1999 to 2011 (aggregate exposure, 386,709 person-years), 518 youth offender deaths occurred. The most common cause of death was homicide (48.2%). The mortality rate of youth offenders was nearly 1.5 times greater than that among community youth (standardized mortality ratio, 1.48). The youth offender mortality rate varied depending on the severity of justice system involvement. Arrested youth had the lowest rate of mortality (90/100,000), followed by detained youth (165/100,000); incarcerated youth (216/100,000); and youth transferred to adult court (313/100,000). A proportional hazards model demonstrated that older age, male gender, and more severe justice system involvement 5 years post-arrest predicted shorter time to mortality. Conclusions Youth offenders face greater risk for early death than community youth. Among these, black male youth face higher risk of early mortality than their white male counterparts. However, regardless of race/ethnicity, mortality rates for youth offenders increase as youth involvement in the justice system becomes more protracted and severe. Thus, justice system involvement is a significant factor to target for intervention.
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    Motivating compliance: Juvenile probation officer strategies and skills
    (Taylor & Francis, 2017) Schwartz, Katherine; Alexander, Andrew O.; Lau, Katherine S. L.; Holloway, Evan D.; Aalsma, Matthew C.; Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine
    Juvenile probation officers aim to improve youth compliance with probation conditions, but questions remain about how officers motivate youth. The study’s purpose was to determine which officer-reported probation strategies (client-centered vs. confrontational) were associated with their use of evidence-based motivational interviewing skills. Officers (N = 221) from 18 Indiana counties demonstrated motivational interviewing skills by responding to scenarios depicting issues common to youth probationers. Results of a hierarchical multiple regression analysis indicated that, while officer endorsement of client-centered strategies was not associated with differential use of motivational interviewing skills, officers endorsing confrontational strategies were less likely to demonstrate motivational interviewing skills.
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    Racial Heterogeneity and Mental Illness: A Study on Detained Youth Across Multiple Counties
    (APA, 2015-09) Lau, Katherine S. L.; Aalsma, Matthew C.; Holloway, Evan D.; Wiehe, Sarah E.; Vachon, David D.; Department of Pediatrics, IU School of Medicine
    A majority of detained adolescents experience mental health and substance use problems. Limited research has examined the interaction between the race/ethnicity of an individual youth and county-level racial heterogeneity on adolescent mental health outcomes. Participants were identified through a statewide mental health screening project that took place in detention centers across 11 different counties in a Midwestern state during January 1, 2008, to May 10, 2010. A total of 23,831 detained youth (ages 11–18 years), identified as non-Hispanic White (46.6%), Black (43.5%), or Hispanic (9.8%), completed a mental health screener that assessed problems in alcohol/drug use, depression-anxiety, anger-irritability, trauma, somatic complaints, and suicide ideation. Census data were gathered to determine the racial heterogeneity of each county and other county-level variables. Hierarchical linear regression analyses were used to test the independent and interactive effects of youth race/ethnicity and county-level variables (including racial heterogeneity of the county) on adolescent mental health. Independent of other community characteristics, as county-level racial heterogeneity increased, mental health problems among detained youth decreased. In future research on the development and persistence of mental health problems in detained youth, both community and individual-level factors should be considered.