Exploring the Relationship Between Gender, Mental Health Needs, and Treatment Orders in a Metropolitan Juvenile Court

We explored personal, social, and legal factors associated with different types of mental health treatment orders in one Missouri metropolitan court where the majority of system-involved youth are African-American. The research question under investigation is: with objective assessment information at their disposal, do judges order mental health treatment based on indicators of need or do they follow the pattern found in other studies where demographic and legal variables are key indicators? The bivariate results indicate that while males and females do not differ in mental health status, they do differ in psychosocial needs and offense patterns. In the multivariate analysis, the mental health treatment specific model indicates that commonly used indicators of need, prior mental health status and being female are related to receiving treatment orders. In the substance abuse treatment specific model, the significant factors are closely aligned with need: drug offenses, substance abuse problems, and negative influence of peers.