Women's Mental Health: What It Means to You is a consumer guide that addresses the mental health needs and concerns of women and girls and incorporates the newest advances in prevention and treatment to help promote positive mental health, understanding, positive behaviors, and address fear and stigma.
Action Steps for Improving Women's Mental Health was written for policy makers, healthcare providers and researchers and outlines specific action steps that can be taken to address the influence of gender in mental health and explores how and why women are disproportionately affected by certain mental illnesses. The recommended Action Steps promote integrating mental health into mainstream health, addressing the cultural and social disparities that place women at risk, and building resilience and protective factors to promote the mental health of girls and women and aid recovery.
A 3 page short report based on data from SAMHSA's National Survey on Drug Use & Health (NSDUH) that examines the demographics of youth who were exposed to substance use prevention messages, the sources of such prevention messages, and their impact on youths' cigarette, alcohol, and illicit drug use. This information reinforces the importance of parental, school, and general media influences on youth substance use as well as the impact of substance use prevention messages.
The NSDUH Report: Nonmedical Use of Adderall among Full-Time College, a 3 page OAS short report based on data from SAMHSA's National Survey on Drug Use & Health (NSDUH) that examines the demographics and alcohol and other drug use of full-time college students who nonmedically used Adderall, a Schedule II drug that is prescribed to treat ADHD and for narcolepsy. This info is useful for prevention and treatment health professionals as well as parents and educators who are interested in the health of college students as well as identifying high risk groups for potential adverse drug interactions.
Reach Out Now is a school-based initiative for fifth and sixth- grade students that provides interactive science-based materials to help increase awareness about alcohol and its impact on the brain and body. Reach Out Now materials also help to build critical resistance skills related to underage alcohol use. Materials include a Poster/Teaching Guide, Student Worksheets, and Family Activity pages.
The NSDUH Report - Alcohol Treatment: Need, Utilization, & Barriers, a 3 page OAS short report based on data from SAMHSA's National Survey on Drug Use & Health (NSDUH) that examines the demographics of persons in the general population aged 12 or older who met criteria for needing alcohol treatment and for those who actual received alcohol treatment. Many people who need treatment do not feel that need and therefore do not seek treatment. Because the barriers for those who both need alcohol treatment and feel that need are presented in this report, treatment health professionals can better target strategies to deal with these unmet alcohol treatment needs.
This TIP, Detoxification and Substance Abuse Treatment, provides information about the role of detoxification in the continuum of services for patients with substance use disorders, the physiology of withdrawl, patient placement procedures, and issues in the management of detoxification services within comprehensive systems of care. It also expands on the administrative, legal, and ethical issues commonly encountered in the delivery of detoxification services and suggest performance measures for detoxification programs.
Because of possible additive or interactive drug effects, data from SAMHSA's 2006 and 2007 National Surveys on Drug Use and Health were pooled to examine the likelihood of multiple concurrent substance use. The measure used to define concurrent substance use for this report was illicit drug use during or within 2 hours of last alcohol use. About 6% (7.1 million) of persons age 12 or older who drank alcohol in the past month also reported using an illicit drug during or within 2 hours of their last alcohol drink. Among past month alcohol drinkers, American Indian or Alaska Natives (11.7%) and Blacks (9.9%) were the most likely racial groups and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders (4.2%) and Asians (2.1%) were the least likely racial groups to use an illicit drug concurrently with alcohol. Youth aged 12 to 17 and young adults aged 18 to 25 were more likely than older persons among the past month alcohol drinkers to drink alcohol concurrently with an illicit drug.
The purpose of this guide was originally to provide basic information for federal disaster responders and other federal health providers who may be deployed or otherwise assigned to provide or coordinate mental health services in American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities. After one year of availability to only federal employees, the value of this guide to non-federal employees who work with AI/AN communities in a variety of settings was acknowledged and the Culture Card is now available to the general public. The guide is intended to serve as a general briefing to enhance cultural competence while providing services to AI/AN communities. (Cultural competence is defined as the ability to function effectively in the context of cultural differences.) It provides basic information on common AI/AN issues. Due to the diversity of tribes in the nation, the authors suggest users keep in mind that it should be supplemented by a more specific local orientation or training provided by a member of the particular community which user of the card is preparing to interact with. This is a pocket sized guide with fold out sections that cover the following topics: About This Guide, Myths and Facts, Tribal Sovereignty, Regional Cultural Differences, Cultural Customs, Spirituality, Communication Styles, Role of Veterans and Elders, Strengths in AI/AN Communities, Health and Wellness Challenges, Self-Awareness, and Etiquette Do's and Don'ts.
This report presents summary results from the Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS) for 2007. The report provides information on the demographic and substance abuse characteristics of the 1.8 million annual admissions to treatment for abuse of alcohol and drugs. Data are presented for the Nation as a whole and for individual States.
SAMHSA's National Survey on Drug Use and Health provides trend data from 2002 to 2007 on smokeless tobacco use in the general population aged 12 and older. The rate of past month smokeless tobacco use remained relatively stable in the range of 3.0% to 3.3% between 2002 and 2007 among persons aged 12 or older; however, there were increases among certain subpopulations — in particular, among adolescent males. Among past month smokeless tobacco users, 85.8% used cigarettes at some time in their lives and 38.8% used cigarettes in the past month. Among persons who had used both smokeless tobacco and cigarettes in their lifetime, 31.8% started using smokeless tobacco first, 65.5% started using cigarettes first, and 2.7% initiated use of smokeless tobacco and cigarettes at about the same time.
SAMHSA's National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) defines inhalants as "liquids, sprays, and gases that people sniff or inhale to get high or to make them feel good." In 2007, almost one million youth used inhalants in the past year. The percentage of youths aged 12 to 17 who used inhalants in the past year was lower in 2007 (3.9%) than in 2003 (4.5%), 2004 (4.6%), and 2005 (4.5%). Among youth who used inhalants for the first time in the past year, the rate of the use of nitrous oxide or "whippets" declined between 2002 and 2007 among both males (40.2% to 20.2%) and females (22.3% to 12.2%). In 2007, 17.2% of youth who initiated illicit drug use during the past year indicated that inhalants were the first drug that they used; this rate remained relatively stable between 2002 and 2007. Past year dependence on or abuse of inhalants remained relatively stable between 2002 and 2007 with around 99,000 youth meeting the criteria for dependence or abuse in 2007.
This issue of SAMHSA News launches our print redesign with a new masthead, connections to SAMHSA News online (at www.samhsa.gov/samhsaNewsletter), and more. The cover story describes SAMHSA’s successful Drug Free Communities Support program with more than 750 grantees nationwide. Local problems demand local solutions. That’s the basic philosophy behind SAMHSA’s Drug Free Community Support program, which harnesses the power of community coalitions to reduce and ultimately prevent substance abuse among young people. A Maryland grantee’s positive experiences are included. Prevention works!
Features in this issue include suicide prevention, older adults, Assertive Community Treatment to help people with mental illness live in the community, a Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) on depressive symptoms in clients with substance abuse issues, and informational briefs on cost-effective ways for employers to maintain a drug-free workplace. You can download a PDF of this publication at www.samhsa.gov/samhsaNewsletter.
The Surgeon General's Call to Action seeks to raise awareness of and promote action on underage drinking and its effects. In addition to bringing attention to underage drinking and its consequences, the Call to Action identifies six goals for prevention and reducing youth drinking. The Report was developed in collaboration with the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
State mental health agencies (SMHAs) are responsible for funding and providing mental health services to more than 6 million persons every year. The SMHAs have information technology systems that are used to identify and coun mental health clients and measure system performance. However States' information technology systems vary widely in terms of the types of information collected and their ability to link data between hospitals and community mental health providers. This report reviews the current status of mental health IT in the States and their efforts to improve these crucial systems.
In 2005, clients discharged from short-term residential treatment were more likely to complete treatment than clients discharged from long-term residential, outpatient, or intensive outpatient treatment settings. Significant predictors of treatment completion or transfer among clients who were discharged from outpatient, intensive outpatient, long-term residential, or short-term residential treatment included: alcohol as the primary substance of abuse, less than daily use at admission, being over age 40, having 12 or more years of education, being White, referral to treatment by the criminal justice system, and being employed.Among clients who were discharged from intensive outpatient treatment, men were more likely than women to complete treatment or transfer to another program or facility; however, among clients who were discharged from outpatient or long-term residential treatment, women were more likely than men to complete treatment or transfer to another facility.
In the past year, one in eight (12.5 percent) adolescents (i.e., youths aged 12 to 17) received treatment or counseling in a specialty mental health setting for problems with behavior or emotions, 11.5 percent received services in an educational setting, and 2.8 percent received services in a general medical setting. One in twenty (5.1 percent) adolescents received services in both a specialty mental health setting and an educational or general medical setting in the past year. Feeling depressed was the most common reason for receiving mental health services in a specialty mental health setting (50.0 percent), a general medical setting (44.3 percent), or an educational setting (38.0 percent).
In 2005, clients discharged from short-term residential treatment were more likely to complete treatment and less likely to drop out of treatment than clients discharged from long-term residential treatment. Treatment completion among clients discharged from short-term residential treatment was highest among those who reported primary alcohol abuse (66 percent) and lowest among those who reported primary stimulant abuse (46 percent). Treatment completion among clients discharged from long-term residential treatment was also highest among those reporting primary alcohol abuse (46 percent), but lowest among those reporting primary cocaine abuse (33 percent) or primary opiate abuse (35 percent). As educational level increased, the proportion of client discharges completing either short-term or long-term residential treatment increased.
The purpose of this guidance is to assist State and community planners in applying the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA's) Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF) to identify and select evidence-based interventions that address local needs and reduce substance abuse problems.
Opioid addiction is a problem with high costs to individuals, families, and society. This TIP provides a detailed description of medication-assisted treatment for opioid addiction, including optional approaches such as comprehensive maintenance treatment, detoxification, and medically supervised withdrawal.
Women's Mental Health: What It Means to You is a consumer guide that addresses the mental health needs and concerns of women and girls and incorporates the newest advances in prevention and treatment to help promote positive mental health, understanding, positive behaviors, and address fear and stigma.
Action Steps for Improving Women's Mental Health was written for policy makers, healthcare providers and researchers and outlines specific action steps that can be taken to address the influence of gender in mental health and explores how and why women are disproportionately affected by certain mental illnesses. The recommended Action Steps promote integrating mental health into mainstream health, addressing the cultural and social disparities that place women at risk, and building resilience and protective factors to promote the mental health of girls and women and aid recovery.
A 3 page short report based on data from SAMHSA's National Survey on Drug Use & Health (NSDUH) that examines the demographics of youth who were exposed to substance use prevention messages, the sources of such prevention messages, and their impact on youths' cigarette, alcohol, and illicit drug use. This information reinforces the importance of parental, school, and general media influences on youth substance use as well as the impact of substance use prevention messages.
The NSDUH Report: Nonmedical Use of Adderall among Full-Time College, a 3 page OAS short report based on data from SAMHSA's National Survey on Drug Use & Health (NSDUH) that examines the demographics and alcohol and other drug use of full-time college students who nonmedically used Adderall, a Schedule II drug that is prescribed to treat ADHD and for narcolepsy. This info is useful for prevention and treatment health professionals as well as parents and educators who are interested in the health of college students as well as identifying high risk groups for potential adverse drug interactions.
The NSDUH Report - Alcohol Treatment: Need, Utilization, & Barriers, a 3 page OAS short report based on data from SAMHSA's National Survey on Drug Use & Health (NSDUH) that examines the demographics of persons in the general population aged 12 or older who met criteria for needing alcohol treatment and for those who actual received alcohol treatment. Many people who need treatment do not feel that need and therefore do not seek treatment. Because the barriers for those who both need alcohol treatment and feel that need are presented in this report, treatment health professionals can better target strategies to deal with these unmet alcohol treatment needs.
This TIP, Detoxification and Substance Abuse Treatment, provides information about the role of detoxification in the continuum of services for patients with substance use disorders, the physiology of withdrawl, patient placement procedures, and issues in the management of detoxification services within comprehensive systems of care. It also expands on the administrative, legal, and ethical issues commonly encountered in the delivery of detoxification services and suggest performance measures for detoxification programs.
This issue of SAMHSA News launches our print redesign with a new masthead, connections to SAMHSA News online (at 
The Surgeon General's Call to Action seeks to raise awareness of and promote action on underage drinking and its effects. In addition to bringing attention to underage drinking and its consequences, the Call to Action identifies six goals for prevention and reducing youth drinking. The Report was developed in collaboration with the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
State mental health agencies (SMHAs) are responsible for funding and providing mental health services to more than 6 million persons every year. The SMHAs have information technology systems that are used to identify and coun mental health clients and measure system performance. However States' information technology systems vary widely in terms of the types of information collected and their ability to link data between hospitals and community mental health providers. This report reviews the current status of mental health IT in the States and their efforts to improve these crucial systems.
The purpose of this guidance is to assist State and community planners in applying the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA's) Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF) to identify and select evidence-based interventions that address local needs and reduce substance abuse problems.
Opioid addiction is a problem with high costs to individuals, families, and society. This TIP provides a detailed description of medication-assisted treatment for opioid addiction, including optional approaches such as comprehensive maintenance treatment, detoxification, and medically supervised withdrawal.