Living group climate
and psychopathology
in German youth prison
Evelyn Heynen, MSc
[email protected]
IAFMHS 2014
Toronto
Living group climate and
psychopathology in German youth prison
The NEED of research in
Germany
›  Huge
population: ca. 6000 adolescents
between 14-24 incarcerated in 27 youth
prisons
›  Ca. 300 inmates each prison
›  Mean age 19, adolescents <18 is raising
›  96% prison population male, ca. 50%
migrants
Living group climate and
psychopathology in German youth prison
Most present misdemeanors
Personal
injury
Robbery
Theft
Drugs
Violence
Living group climate and
psychopathology in German youth prison
Psychopathology in prison
›  Attention
Deficit/Hyperactivity
Disorder ca. 45% (Rösler et al, 2003)
›  Personality
›  Antisocial
(Ogloff, 2006)
›  Conduct
disorders 77% (Köhler, 2004)
personality disorder 50-80%
problems 81% (Köhler, 2004)
Living group climate and
psychopathology in German youth prison
›  No
structural Psychopathology diagnosis(only in
special cases)
›  No
actual/structural assessed numbers/prevalence
rates of psychopathology in youth
›  Low
treatment rates for psychopathology in prison
Living group climate and
psychopathology in German youth prison
RESEARCH: Psychopathology
related problems in German
Youth prison
›  Population:
› 
› 
› 
male adolescents/young adults age group 18-26
N=156 (mean=20,44/SD=1,64)
N = 39 non-delinquent controls
Instruments:
› 
› 
› 
› 
› 
› 
› 
Prison Group Climate
Callous unemotional traits
Aggression (Reactive-proactive)
Sensation seeking
Moral reasoning (personal and impersonal)
ADHD/ Impulsivity
Empathy (cognitive and affective)
Living group climate and
psychopathology in German youth prison
Moral reasoning
(personal vs impersonal dilemma)
0,8
0,7
0,6
0,5
Healthy Controls
0,4
Juvenile Delinquents
0,3
0,2
0,1
0
Personal Dilemmas
Impersonal Dilemmas
Living group climate and
psychopathology in German youth prison
Moral reasoning, aggression
and callous-unemotional traits
Correlations
Callousunemotional
Reactive
Aggression
Proactive
Aggression
Personal
dilemma
Impersonal
dilemma
Callousunemotional
1
Reactive
Aggression
.131
1
Proactive
Aggression
.049
.766**
1
Personal
dilemma
.103
.244**
.248**
1
Impersonal
dilemma
-.199**
.109
.078
.305**
1
** p=0.01 level (2-tailed)
Living group climate and
psychopathology in German youth prison
RESULTS 1
›  Incarcerated
boys function on a lower
stage of moral reasoning (more
permission to personal and impersonal
dilemmas
›  Low moral reasoning = more callous and
unemotional traits and more aggression
PREDICTOR MORAL TRANSGRESSION
Living group climate and
psychopathology in German youth prison
Structural Equation Model
Living group climate and
psychopathology in German youth prison
RESULTS 2
›  A
positive Living group climate can
influence
›  Aggression
›  Callous
and unemotional traits
›  Impulsive behavior
Living group climate and
psychopathology in German youth prison
Structual Equation Model (T1-T2)
Living group climate and
psychopathology in German youth prison
RESULTS 3
›  Empathy
grow during imprisonment
›  Decrease of callous and unemotional
traits during imprisonment
›  Positive change in living group climate
during imprisonment (decrease:
repression, increase growth, atmosphere
and support)
Living group climate and
psychopathology in German youth prison
Conclusion
Adolescent delinquents in prison differ from nondelinquent adolescents in moral reasoning,
empathy, aggression, callousness, un-emotionality
›  A positive living group climate can influence
psychopathological problems during
imprisonment
› 
We have to focus on optimization living group
climate (especially support and repression) to
support positive psychological development in
delinquent youth