Psychometric Properties of the Aggressive Behaviors Scale from the Youth Self-Report in Juvenile Offenders.

The study of aggression in juvenile offenders, a high priority from clinical and public health standpoints, depends on properly measuring and modeling aggression. The Aggressive Behaviors scale from the Youth Self-Report (YSR-AB) has been widely used to measure youth aggression, often functioning as a stand-alone scale in analyses (of note, even when analyzed alone, the YSR-AB must be administered as part of the full YSR to retain its integrity). However, knowledge of its factor analytic structure among juvenile offenders is lacking. We addressed this gap. Factor analyses of YSR-AB data from 310 probation youth (M age = 16 years, 90% African American, 66% male) supported a hierarchical structure, with 2 lower order factors distinguishing aggression targeting others (e.g., physical attack) from related symptoms (e.g., mood swings). The targeted aggression items showed significantly stronger associations with other externalizing symptoms than did the related symptom items; the opposite pattern emerged for internalizing symptoms. In further support of the convergent and discriminant validity of these subscales, the related symptoms were differentially linked to gender, with females reporting significantly higher levels than males. The hierarchical solution appeared to be stable over 1 year. Implications for interpreting past findings and conducting future research with the YSR-AB are discussed.

Mental health disorders, psychological distress, and suicidality in a diverse sample of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youths.

OBJECTIVES: We examined associations of race/ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation with mental disorders among lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youths. METHODS: We assessed mental disorders by administering a structured diagnostic interview to a community sample of 246 LGBT youths aged 16 to 20 years. Participants also completed the Brief Symptom Inventory 18 (BSI 18). RESULTS: One third of participants met criteria for any mental disorder, 17% for conduct disorder, 15% for major depression, and 9% for posttraumatic stress disorder. Anorexia and bulimia were rare. Lifetime suicide attempts were frequent (31%) but less so in the prior 12 months (7%). Few racial/ethnic and gender differences were statistically significant. Bisexually identified youths had lower prevalences of every diagnosis. The BSI 18 had high negative predictive power (90%) and low positive predictive power (25%) for major depression. CONCLUSIONS: LGBT youths had higher prevalences of mental disorder diagnoses than youths in national samples, but were similar to representative samples of urban, racial/ethnic minority youths. Suicide behaviors were similar to those among representative youth samples in the same geographic area. Questionnaires measuring psychological distress may overestimate depression prevalence among this population.

Changes in externalizing and internalizing symptoms among African American female adolescents over 1 year following a mother-daughter sexual health intervention.

OBJECTIVE: African American female adolescents face disparities compared with White peers in the interrelated areas of mental health symptoms and sexually transmitted infection (STI) acquisition. IMARA (Informed, Motivated, Aware and Responsible about AIDS) is a group-based mother-daughter intervention addressing these factors among African American teenagers. Previous work demonstrated that female adolescents who received IMARA were 43% less likely than controls to evidence a new STI at 1 year. This report aimed to provide the 1st test of IMARA on externalizing and internalizing symptoms and an exploratory analysis of whether symptom improvements were associated with the protective effect of treatment against future STIs. METHOD: Female African Americans aged 14-18 years (M = 16; N = 199) were randomly assigned to IMARA or a health promotion control group matched for time and structure. They completed the Youth Self-Report of externalizing and internalizing symptoms at baseline and at 6 and 12 months and were tested for STIs at baseline and 12 months; positive cases were treated. Hierarchical linear modeling tested symptom change over time, including the moderating effects of baseline symptoms. RESULTS: Among participants who entered with high versus lower externalizing symptoms, those who received IMARA showed a slightly greater decrease in externalizing scores relative to the control (p = .035). For these youth, symptom improvements appeared to be associated with IMARA's protective effect against new STIs. Treatment was not associated with internalizing symptom change (p > .05). CONCLUSION: IMARA shows promise in modestly reducing self-reported externalizing symptoms, although only for participants with high scores at baseline. The possibility that externalizing symptom improvement is linked with reduced STI acquisition warrants future examination. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

A Two-Week Psychosocial Intervention Reduces Future Aggression and Incarceration in Clinically Aggressive Juvenile Offenders.

OBJECTIVE: There is a largely unmet need for evidence-based interventions that reduce future aggression and incarceration in clinically aggressive juvenile offenders serving probation. We addressed this gap using a group randomized controlled trial. Offenders both with and without clinical aggression were included, enabling comparison of intervention effects. METHOD: Juveniles 13 to 17 years old (N = 310, mean = 16 years, 90% African-American, 66% male) on probation were assigned to a 2-week intervention targeting psychosocial factors implicated in risky behavior (e.g., learning strategies to manage "hot" emotions that prompt risk taking) or to an equally intensive health promotion control. Participants completed aggression measures at baseline, 6-, and 12-month follow-up and reported on incarceration at 12 months. Spline regression tested symptom change. RESULTS: Among clinically aggressive offenders (n = 71), the intervention arm showed significantly greater reductions in aggression over the first 6 months compared with controls. Juveniles from the intervention no longer met clinical criteria, on average, but clinically significant symptoms persisted in the control group. By 12 months, participants from the intervention appeared to maintain treatment gains, but their symptom levels no longer differed significantly from those in the control. However, the intervention group was nearly 4 times less likely than controls to report incarceration. Intervention effects were significantly stronger for offenders with clinical than with nonclinical (n = 239) baseline aggression. CONCLUSION: A 2-week intervention expedited improvements in aggression and reduced incarceration in clinically aggressive juvenile offenders. The findings underscore the importance of directing intervention resources to the most aggressive youth. Clinical trial registration information-PHAT Life: Preventing HIV/AIDS Among Teens in Juvenile Justice (PHAT Life); http://clinicaltrials.gov/; NCT02647710.

Trauma History and PTSD Symptoms in Juvenile Offenders on Probation.

Detained and incarcerated juveniles are found to have heightened rates of trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Less is known about probation youth, who represent the majority of juveniles in the criminal justice system. This study examined trauma history and PTSD and associations with behavioral health problems among 13-17 year-old juveniles on probation (N=61). Most (93%) reported at least one traumatic event, and 12% met diagnostic criteria for PTSD. Trauma exposure and PTSD symptoms were associated with mental health problems but not substance use or risky sexual behavior. Findings underscore the importance of addressing trauma history in probation youth.