FACTS AND FIGURES
Learn about statistics, trends, and other relevant insights for behavioral health practitioners working to reduce health disparities and improve outcomes for people in underserved communities.
COVID-19 Risk and Outcomes
In the United States, the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the epidemic of substance use disorders (SUD), including opioid use disorders (OUD). A retrospective case-control study of electronic
health records found that patients with a recent diagnosis of SUD (within past year) were at significantly increased risk for COVID-19, especially those with OUD. Among those recently diagnosed
with SUD, African Americans had significantly higher risk of COVID-19 and had worse health outcomes (death: 13.0%, hospitalization: 50.7%) than Caucasians (death: 8.6%, hospitalization: 35.2%).
African Americans recently diagnosed with OUD were more likely to develop COVID-19 after adjusting for age, gender and insurance types compared to Caucasians.
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Citation: Wang, Q.Q., Kaelber, D.C., Xu, R. et al. COVID-19 risk and outcomes in patients with substance use disorders: analyses from electronic health records in the United States. Molecular
Psychiatry (2020).
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-020-00880-7. 
SAMHSA is committed to providing regular training and technical assistance (TTA) on matters related to the mental and substance use disorder field as they deal with COVID-19. View SAMHSA’s COVID-19
resources and information at
https://www.samhsa.gov/coronavirus.