Substance Use Treatment Need among Adolescents: 2003-2004

The NSDUH Report:  Substance Use Treatment Need among Adolescents, 2003-2004

• HTML format (also has the data table used to construct each figure)

• PDF format (recommended for printing)

Highlights:

• SAMHSA's National Survey on Drug Use and Health gathers data on symptoms of substance dependence or abuse using criteria specified in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV). These symptoms include withdrawal, tolerance, use in dangerous situations, trouble with the law, and interference in major obligations at work, school or home.

• Combining data from the 2003-2004 SAMHSA's National Surveys on Drug Use and Health, SAMHSA's Office of Applied Studies was able to describe the demographic characteristics of youth who needed substance abuse treatment, those who perceived a need for substance abuse treatment, those who received treatment, and the treatment gap. The treatment gap is the unmet need for substance abuse treatment.

• Based on SAMHSA's National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 1.5 million youths (6.1% youths aged 12 to 17) were classified as needing alcohol treatment in the past year and about 111,000 youth (7.2% of those needing alcohol treatment) received specialty treatment for alcohol in the past year. Specialty substance use treatment is defined as inpatient or outpatient treatment received at drug or alcohol rehabilitation facilities or mental health centers, or inpatient hospital treatment.

• About 1.4 million youths (5.4%) were classified as needing illicit drug use treatment in the past year and 124,000 (9.1% of those needing illicit drug treatment) received specialty treatment for an illicit drug in the past year.

• Youths aged 12 to 17 who were in need of substance use treatment in the past year and did not receive treatment were not likely to perceive a need for substance use treatment.

  Reports on parental influences

  Reports on treatment

  Reports on Youth

  Other topics

This Short Report, The NSDUH Report:  Substance Use Treatment Need among Adolescents, 2003-2004, is based on SAMHSA's  National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH).  The NSDUH is conducted by the Office of Applied Studies (OAS) in the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).  SAMHSA's National Survey on Drug Use and Health is the primary source of information on the prevalence, patterns, and consequences of drug and alcohol use and abuse in the general U.S. civilian non institutionalized population, age 12 and older.   SAMHSA's National Survey on Drug Use & Health also provides estimates for drug use by State.

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This page was last updated on June 29, 2006. 

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