Prevalence of psychiatric disorders among juvenile offenders in Malaysian prisons and association with socio-demographic and personal factors

Abstract

Purpose – The number of juvenile offenders admitted to Malaysian prisons is alarming. The purpose of this paper is to determine the presence of any psychiatric disorders and their association with personal characteristics of juvenile detainees in prisons across Peninsular Malaysia. Design/methodology/approach – Detainees were recruited from five different prisons in Peninsular Malaysia and interviewed by a psychiatrist using the MINI-Kid and FACES-IV, relevant personal and family information was also collected. Findings – A total of 105 detainees participated in the study. Almost all of the offenders (93.3 per cent) had at least one diagnosable psychiatric disorder and more than half (76.2 per cent) had two or more psychiatric diagnoses. Conduct disorder (CD) was the commonest disorder (59.0 per cent), while substance use disorders (SUD) was the commonest co-morbidity. A significant correlation was found between presence of CD, education level and SUD. Almost all (61/62, 98.4 per cent) of the detainees with CD, had not completed schooling (OR 8.03, 95 per cent CI 1.01-71.35), and detainees with this disorder were more likely to use substances than detainees without CD (OR 4.35, 95 per cent CI 1.90-9.99). Detainees with any psychiatric diagnosis were more likely to have four or more siblings in their families (OR 5.5, 95 per cent CI 1.1-26.9). Originality/value – There is a high prevalence of psychiatric disorders among juvenile offenders in Malaysian prisons, detection and intervention would be important.