Gender-specific Differences in the Degree of Burden on Children and Adolescents Taken into Custody

Abstract

Gender-specific Differences in the Degree of Burden on Children and Adolescents Taken into Custody Children and adolescents who were taken into care are a high-risk group for mental disorders such as externalizing problems or conduct disorders. 95 children and adolescents who were taken into care were tested with the Screening Child Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) and the Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument 2 (MAYSI-2). In a large proportion of those children and adolescents emotional and physical neglect and abuse was identified. There were sex differences in suicidal thoughts, somatoform disorders, and emotional abuse. The knowledge of mental disorders as well as the gender-specific characteristics is important for specialists of inhospital institutions, in order to optimize their quality of care.