Browsing by Author "Koivukangas, Jenny"

Objectives Adolescents placed in reform schools (RS) are a special group with a risk for many types of lifetime problems. Previous studies on psychiatric morbidity among RS population indicate a wide spectrum of disorders among this population, but more representative information is needed. This follow-up study investigates the prevalence of psychiatric diagnoses among five cohorts of individuals with a history of RS placement. The prevalence rates are also compared to a matched general population sample. Methods The study sample consisted of a complete national cohort of all 1099 people placed in a reform school on the last day of the years 1991, 1996, 2001, 2006 or 2011, and information on psychiatric diagnoses, grouped into eight categories, was collected from the care register of specialized health care. The reform school subjects were compared to a population control group (n = 5437) matched by age, sex and place of birth, the follow-up time being 18 to 38 years. Results Among the individuals with a RS background, 57.4% had at least one diagnosis during the follow-up time, compared to 6.8% among the controls. 30.1% were diagnosed with conduct disorder and ADHD -category diagnosis, 26.4% with substance use disorder, 16.7% with affective disorder, 9.7% with personality disorder, 8.1% with schizophrenia spectrum disorder, 7.0% with mental retardation, 5.8% with disorder of psychological development, and 8.1% with other childhood disorder. All diagnoses were significantly more prevalent among the RS than control group. Conclusions The results of this study contribute to the earlier knowledge indicating that different psychiatric disorders are highly prevalent in RS population and that problems persist also after RS, reminding about the continuous need for support in this population.