A Study of Mental Health of Juvenile Delinquents in Forensic Psychiatry

Abstract

The research objectives are to study the level of mental health and mentally preventive mechanism of juvenile delinquents and to analyze the relationship between the number, behavior and type of delinquency versus the level of mental health and mentally preventive mechanism of juvenile delinquents. Populations of this research were juvenile delinquents. Personal questionnaire, the Thai Mental Health Indicator –15 (TMHI - 15) and the Defensive Style Questionnaire-40 were complied with statistical analysis under mean, standard deviation (SD) and chi-square ( ) analysis. Results of this research demonstrated that juveniles were prone to a second delinquency of 65.7 %, typically as the corporation delinquency (54.3%), and mostly against the case of life and body of 62.9%. Results of the mental health level of 35 juveniles showed that the average mental health status is at 33.69 (SD=4.38), Considered as lower mental health level than ordinary person. Moreover, the mentally preventive mechanism of juvenile delinquents indicated that the highest average value is the immature defenses (M=5.01, SD=1.16.). The followed average values are mature defenses (M=4.95, SD=1.15), and neurotic defenses (M=4.90, SD=1.23), respectively. This revealed a medium level without a clear positive or negative sensation (neutral). Based on the study of the number, behavior and type of delinquency, no relationship between the level of mental health and mentally preventive mechanism of juvenile delinquents was found.