The Health of a Group of Young Australians in a New South Wales Juvenile Justice Detention Centre: a Pilot Study

This study examined the health profile of a sample of young, largely male Australians as assessed on their admission to a New South Wales Juvenile Justice Detention Centre. A retrospective analysis of primary care nurse health records for 100 sequential admissions was carried out. 46% had prior contact with a mental health professional, 26% reported they had thought of suicide, & 9% reported having attempted suicide. It is concluded the health of this population is at risk from every perspective. Improving the quality of their health assessments is an important issue for clinicians & policy makers. The results of this study have revealed opportunities to make such improvements. (22 refs.)