Prevalence and risk factors of psychological distress among Indonesian incarcerated male juveniles

Abstract

Background/Aim: Adolescence is a developmental period that is rife with emotional problems as adolescents lack psychological maturity. Ju-venile offenders who are incarcerated may be more vulnerable to psy-chological distress. Aim of this study was to analyse the prevalence and risks of psychological distress among male juveniles (MJs) incarcerated in Indonesia. Method: The participants of this study were 206 male juvenile offenders (MJOs) aged 12-17 from 28 Special Child Development Institutions (Lem-baga Pemasyarakatan Khusus Anak; LPKA) in Indonesia. The participants' socio-demographic data was gathered while the strength and difficulties questionnaire (SDQ) was used to assess the extent of their psychological distress. Results: Of the 47.6 % of participants that reported psychological dis-tress, peer relationship problems (64.6 %) was the most severe, followed by conduct problems (51.5 %). The binary logistic regression results re-vealed that education level (p = 0.005) and psychological trauma (p < 0.001) correlated with psychological distress and that they were respon-sible for 37.5 % of psychological distress. Therefore, education level and psycho-trauma significantly affect the extent of the psychological distress that MJOs in Indonesia experience. Conclusion: Juveniles require support to further their formal or informal education. Furthermore, healthcare providers could develop appropriate interventions to manage specific traumatic events as well as prevent or improve the mental health of MJOs.