TY - JOUR PY - 2021// TI - Health and welfare outcomes for adolescents following release from prison in Queensland, Australia: a prospective cohort study JO - Adolescents (Basel) A1 - Borschmann, Rohan A1 - de Andrade, Dominique A1 - Kinner, Stuart A. SP - 175 EP - 185 VL - 1 IS - 2 N2 - BACKGROUND: The transition from prison to the community can be a difficult process and may present different challenges for adolescents (aged < 25 years) compared with their older peers.

METHODS: Using data from a prospective cohort study in Australia, we compared the health and welfare outcomes of adolescents (aged < 25 years) and adults (aged ≥ 25 years) at 1, 3, and 6 months after release from prison.

RESULTS: After one month, adolescents were less likely to be unemployed (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 0.31; 95% CI 0.15-0.63), report low levels of social support (aOR 0.41; 95% CI 0.21-0.80), or report high psychological distress (aOR 0.50; 95% CI 0.25-0.99). After three months, adults were more likely to have visited a general practitioner (aOR 2.05; 95% CI 1.04-4.07) and adolescents remained less likely to be unemployed (aOR 0.37; 95% CI 0.19-0.74). After six months, adolescents were three times more likely to have used amphetamine-type stimulants (aOR 3.42; 95% CI 1.29-9.09).

CONCLUSIONS: Adolescents experience different challenges than their older peers when transitioning from prison to the community. Age-specific, integrated support is needed for adolescents during this critical period, including strategies to promote early primary care contact, capitalise on social support networks, and discourage risky substance use.

Language: en

LA - en SN - 2673-7051 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/adolescents1020014 ID - ref1 ER -