Key findings
- Three-quarters of the sample (75%) reported that they had experienced some form of non-sexual abuse (i.e. physical, verbal, financial, emotional or neglect).
- Almost one-half (44%) of young people had experienced at least one head injury with a loss of consciousness in their life.
- Over half (54%) of the justice-involved young females reported high or very high levels of psychological distress; much higher than their female counterparts in the Australian community (35%). The rate of high or very high psychological distress was twice as high in justice-involved young males (33%) compared with young males in the community (17%).
- 23% reported having ever attempted suicide, and 14% reported that they had made a suicide attempt in the past 12 months. Rates of having ever attempted suicide were nearly six times as high among justice-involved young people compared with their peers in the general population.
- Rates of mental disorder, including alcohol use disorders, were high among this sample, with about two-thirds having at least one mental disorder. One-third (33%) met diagnostic criteria for two or more mental disorders assessed.
- Under one-third (30%) of young people surveyed reported that they had utilised a health service for emotional or behavioural problems in the past 12 months.