Mental health disorders are an ongoing
concern in the juvenile justice system and pose a significant problem to it’s
youth. These disorders are particularly
high among female juvenile offenders with nearly 80 percent of this population
showing symptoms of a mental health disorder or substance abuse problems. Frequently, youths have a combination of several issues. [1]
The most common mental health disorder among female juvenile offenders is
post-traumatic stress disorder(PTSD).
About 65 percent of juvenile females in the juvenile justice system have
experienced symptoms of PTSD. A primary
reason that females in this population suffer from PTSD is because they are
victims of a traumatic experience such as abuse, molestation or neglect..[2] Although it is ideal to recognize and treat
PTSD prior to entering the juvenile justice system, that is not the current
setup of the system. By recognizing the
symptoms of PTSD and providing services to help treat PTSD, there is the
potential to prevent further worsening of the conditions effect on their mental
health. As a result of their traumatic
experience, many of the juvenile females develop a feeling of being
unsafe. The mood of the juveniles can
have an effect on how willing they are to share information that can help them
in overcoming their PTSD. How can a
safe environment be created that also uses the building and it’s surroundings
to help in the process of overcoming PTSD?
As researched and stated by John
Davis, a window view of nature leads to less use of health care services among
prison inmates[3]. This can be true as well
for juvenile offenders and if they are using less health care services it could
mean they are less reliant on drugs to fix their problems and can fix their
mental health issue naturally. With
trust or lack there of, being an issue associated with post-traumatic stress
disorder it is important to look at ways of rebuilding trust in the
juveniles. Providing outdoor spaces for
recreation is a way of doing so with the use of gardens and nature trails.
Wilderness experiences lead to more trust and less need for control[4]. The development of trust in the juvenile
females can allow them to open up and tell of their traumatic experience or
experiences that has caused their post-traumatic stress disorder. Maintaining good mental and physical health
is equally important as developing trust.
The presence of natural daylight can positively have an impact on one’s
mood, health, behavior, satisfaction and productivity[5]. By providing natural daylight into large
gathering areas, education spaces, living quarters and therapy spaces, the
positive effects of natural daylight will be able to take affect on the
juveniles and better their mood, health and behavior. Mood can also be effected
by color selections, material selections and sizes of various spaces. Building
materials, in particular more natural materials can also contribute to the mental
health of the building’s occupants. The
use of color to enhance mental stability will differ between spaces as will
materials used to allow for the illusion of the space to appear larger or
smaller depending on the desired outcome of the space. When combining all the various task, spaces
and elements of the building together the desired facility should be the
result. This facility will be able to maintain a good standing mental health as
well as physical health and provide the residents with a safe and secure
feeling.
System.”
National Center for Mental Health and Juvenile Justice (2003): 8p.
[2]
E. Cauffman, “Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Among
Female Juvenile Offenders.” Journal of the American Academy of Child and
Adolescent Psychiatry 37(11) 1209-1216 (1998)
[3]
John Davis, “Psychological Benefits of Nature
Experiences.” Naropa University and School of Lost Borders. 12 pages. (2004)
[4]
John Davis, “Psychological Benefits of Nature
Experiences.” Naropa University and School of Lost Borders. page 3. (2004)
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