Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1117, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Institute of Criminal Law & Criminology, Faculty of Law, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Qual Life Res. 2019 Jul;28(7):1813-1823. doi: 10.1007/s11136-019-02160-6. Epub 2019 Mar 14.
Besides reducing recidivism, juvenile justice institutions aim to rehabilitate juvenile delinquents, in order for them to reintegrate in society. As such, improving quality of life (QoL), especially post detention, is an important treatment goal. However, research is primarily focused on recidivism as an outcome measure for juvenile detention. The aim of the current study is therefore to describe and predict QoL of detained young offenders up to 1 year after an initial assessment, and to examine whether QoL differs between youth who are still detained versus released.
A sample of 186 juveniles admitted to juvenile justice institutions in the Netherlands was assessed within the institution (initial assessment/T0), using psychosocial and neurobiological factors as predictors (self-control, treatment motivation, trauma, mental health problems, respiratory sinus arrhythmia). QoL (MANSA), as well as substance use (alcohol, cannabis) and daily activities (education, work) were assessed at first, second, and third follow-up (respectively 2.5 months, 4.5 months, and 12 months after T0).
QoL increased from first to third follow-up, and was higher for individuals who were no longer detained. The model that best predicted higher QoL upon follow-up consisted of lower trauma and stronger parasympathetic nervous system reactivity. The effects of the predictors did not differ between the various follow-ups, nor between individuals who were or were not detained.
Methods incorporating trauma-sensitive focus and relaxation techniques in treatment protocols in juvenile justice institutions may be of added value in improving the general functioning of these individuals.
除了减少累犯，少年司法机构还旨在改造少年犯，使他们重新融入社会。因此，提高生活质量（QoL），尤其是拘留后，是一个重要的治疗目标。然而，研究主要集中在累犯作为少年拘留的结果衡量标准上。因此，本研究的目的是描述和预测首次评估后 1 年内被拘留的年轻罪犯的生活质量，并检查生活质量是否因仍被拘留与已获释的青少年而有所不同。
对荷兰少年司法机构收容的 186 名青少年进行了样本评估，在机构内进行了评估（初始评估/T0），使用心理社会和神经生物学因素作为预测指标（自我控制、治疗动机、创伤、心理健康问题、呼吸窦性心律失常）。生活质量（MANSA）以及物质使用（酒精、大麻）和日常活动（教育、工作）在首次、第二次和第三次随访（分别为 T0 后 2.5 个月、4.5 个月和 12 个月）进行了评估。
生活质量从第一次随访到第三次随访有所提高，对于不再被拘留的个体，生活质量更高。预测随访时更高生活质量的最佳模型包括较低的创伤和更强的副交感神经反应。预测因子的影响在各个随访中没有差异，也没有因被拘留与否而有所不同。
在少年司法机构的治疗方案中纳入对创伤敏感的重点和放松技术的方法，可能会增加这些个体的一般功能。
