Table 1 Cross-sectional differences in overall and specific mental health problem within youth at baseline

Gender (N = 136)

χ² = 4.994, df = 1

p = 0.025 *

 Boys/men

90 (66.2%)

43 (47.8%)

47 (52.2%)

 Girls/women

46 (33.8%)

32 (69.6%)

14 (30.4%)

Jurisdiction of Placement (N = 131)

χ² = 4.254, df = 2

p = 0.119

 Civil law

66 (50.4%)

38 (57.6%)

28 (42.4%)

 Penal law

48 (36.6%)

21 (43.8%)

27 (56.2%)

 Other

17 (13.0%)

12 (70.6%)

5 (29.4%)

Nationality (N = 136)

χ² = 1.459, df = 1

p = 0.227

 Swiss

111 (81.6%)

58 (52.3%)

53 (47.7%)

 Other

25 (18.4%)

17 (68.0%)

8 (32.0%)

Swiss language regions (N = 136)

χ² = 0.194, df = 2

Fisher's p = 1.000

 German

116 (85.3%)

64 (55.2%)

52 (44.8%)

 French

17 (12.5%)

9 (52.9%)

8 (47.1%)

 Italian

3 (2.2%)

2 (66.7%)

1 (33.3%)

Trauma exposure (Criterion A; N = 99)

χ² = 0.052, df = 1

p = 0.828

 No

27 (27.3%)

14 (51.9%)

13 (48.1%)

 Yes

72 (72.7%)

41 (56.9%)

31 (43.1%)

Previous offense (N = 136)

χ² = 3.175, df = 1

p = 0.075

 No

75 (55.2%)

47 (62.7%)

28 (37.3%)

 Yes

61 (44.9%)

28 (45.9%)

33 (54.1%)

Previous violent offense (N = 136)

χ² = 1.009, df = 1

p = 0.315

 No

113 (83.1%)

65 (57.5%)

48 (42.5%)

 Yes

23 (16.9%)

10 (43.5%)

13 (56.5%)

Age (N = 136)

16.41 (2.30)

16.06 (2.08)

16.84 (2.5)

t(116.59) = − 1.95

p = 0.053

LPE dim

33.9 (7.85)

30.59 (5.39)

37.97 (8.5)

t(97.30) = − 5.89

p < .001 ***

Sum Life Events (N = 136)

3.95 (3.02)

3.64 (3.04)

4.33 (2.97)

W = 1935.50

p = 0.121

Sum previous placements (N = 135)

0.94 (1.35)

0.75 (1.16)

1.19 (1.55)

W = 1982.00

p = 0.202

Sum previous offenses (N = 136)

1.85 (3.38)

1.29 (2.7)

2.52 (3.98)

W = 1816.50

p = 0.024 *

Sum previous violent offenses (N = 136)

0.3 (0.94)

0.33 (1.15)

0.26 (0.57)

W = 2129.00

p = 0.289