Bradley study: Juvies need better screenings

EAST PROVIDENCE – Newly published research from the Bradley Hasbro Children’s Research Center shows kids who have been arrested and are depressed are more likely to use drugs and alcohol and engage in unsafe sexual activity that puts them at greater risk for HIV.
The study, published in the January issue of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, concludes depression screenings should be part of the juvenile intake process in order to determine appropriate mental health, substance use and HIV-risk behavior interventions.
“Juvenile offenders aren’t routinely screened for emotional difficulties, such as depression or anxiety – rather, everyone tends to focus more on their conduct or behavioral problems,” said lead author Marina Tolou-Shams, who is also an assistant research professor of psychiatry at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University.
The study is one of the first to examine the link between substance use, mental health and sexual risk among high-risk youth who have an arrest history but may not have been detained or incarcerated. It involved 835 youths, ages 15 to 21, from Providence and Atlanta who participated in a larger, multi-site HIV prevention program.