Substance Dependence, Abuse and Treatment

4. Needing and Receiving Treatment for Illicit Drug Use

This chapter addresses the need for and receipt of treatment for an illicit drug problem. It includes estimates of "treatment need," "specialty treatment," and the "treatment gap" defined below:

• Treatment need is defined as dependence on or abuse of any illicit drug in the past year, or reporting having received treatment for an illicit drug use problem at a "specialty" substance abuse facility in the past year.

• Specialty substance abuse facilities include drug and alcohol rehabilitation facilities (inpatient or outpatient), hospitals (inpatient only), and mental health centers.

• The treatment gap is defined as the number of persons who needed treatment in the past year but did not receive treatment in specialty substance abuse treatment facilities.

4.1 Overview

• In 2000, an estimated 4.7 million people aged 12 or older (2.1 percent of the total population) needed treatment for illicit drug abuse, including 4.3 million people classified with illicit drug dependence or abuse and another 0.3 million people who received specialty treatment but were not dependent or abusing. Of those who needed treatment, 0.8 million people (16.6 percent of the people who needed treatment) received treatment at a specialty facility.

• The treatment gap was estimated to be 3.9 million people (1.7 percent of the total population).

• Rates for illicit drug abuse treatment need showed similar patterns by demographic subgroup to rates for illicit drug dependence or abuse.

4.2 Age

• For the youngest age group (12 to 17), an estimated 1.1 million youths (4.6 percent of the population aged 12 to 17) needed treatment for an illicit drug abuse problem. Of this group, only 0.1 million youths (11.4 percent of the 12 to 17 year olds who needed treatment) received treatment, and 1.0 million youths were defined as part of the treatment gap (Figure 13).

• The percentage of the population who needed treatment was highest among persons aged 18 to 25 (5.7 percent) and lowest among persons aged 26 or older (1.1 percent). Among persons needing treatment, the percentage receiving specialty treatment was highest for persons aged 26 years or older (26.3 percent) and lowest for persons aged 18 to 25 (8.6 percent) (Figure 13).

Figure 13 Past Year Illicit Drug Abuse Treatment Need and Receipt, by Age: 2000

Note: "Illicit drug" refers to marijuana/hashish, cocaine (including crack), inhalants, hallucinogens (including LSD and PCP), heroin, or any prescription-type psychotherapeutic used nonmedically.

Source: SAMHSA, Office of Applied Studies, National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, 2000.

4.3 Gender

• Among persons aged 12 or older, the percentage of males needing treatment was higher than the percentage of females needing treatment (2.6 vs. 1.6 percent, respectively). On the other hand, the percentage receiving specialty treatment among those needing treatment was higher for females than males (19.0 vs. 15.0 percent), but this was not a statistically significant difference.

• Among youths aged 12 to 17, the percentage of males needing treatment for an illicit drug problem was also higher than the percentage of females needing treatment (5.0 vs. 4.2 percent, respectively). The percentage receiving specialty treatment among those needing treatment was higher for males than females (13.0 vs. 9.4 percent), but the difference was not statistically significant.

4.4 Race/Ethnicity

• In 2000, 2.0 percent of all whites needed treatment. Among whites needing treatment, 17.8 percent received treatment at a specialty facility. The rate needing treatment was almost the same among blacks and Hispanics (2.5 vs. 2.4 percent, respectively). However, 0.5 percent of all blacks received treatment, but only 0.2 percent of all Hispanics received treatment. The "more than one race" racial/ethnic grouping had the highest percentage of people needing treatment (5.5 percent) (Figure 14).

• Among youths aged 12 to17, American Indians/Alaska Natives were the racial/ethnic group with the highest percentage of people needing treatment (10.7 percent).

Figure 14 Past Year Illicit Drug Abuse Treatment Need and Receipt, by Race/Ethnicity: 2000

Note: "Illicit drug" refers to marijuana/hashish, cocaine (including crack), inhalants, hallucinogens (including LSD and PCP), heroin, or any prescription-type psychotherapeutic used nonmedically. Data are not presented for Asians because the estimate for receiving treatment has low precision.

Source: SAMHSA, Office of Applied Studies, National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, 2000.

4.5 Education

• As was the case for illicit drug dependence or abuse, needing treatment was highly correlated with educational status. Among adults aged 18 or older, those who had not completed high school had the highest percentage of persons needing treatment (2.9 percent), while college graduates had the lowest percentage of persons needing treatment for illicit drugs (1.1 percent). The percentage who received treatment among persons who needed treatment was 25.4 percent for those with less than a high school education.

4.6 Employment

• Current employment status was also correlated with needing treatment. An estimated 7.7 percent of unemployed adults aged 18 or older needed treatment for illicit drugs, while only 1.6 percent of full-time employed adults needed treatment for illicit drugs.

4.7 Geographic Area

• Similar to rates for illicit drug dependence or abuse, the rate needing treatment was lowest in the East South Central division (1.6 percent) and highest in the New England division (3.2 percent).

• The percentage of persons needing treatment was essentially the same for persons in large metropolitan, small metropolitan, and urbanized nonmetropolitan counties (2.3, 2.0, and 2.0 percent, respectively). The percentage needing treatment was lowest in completely rural counties (1.2 percent). The percentage who received treatment among those who needed treatment was essentially the same in large and small metropolitan counties (16.2 vs. 15.4 percent).

This page was last updated on June 16, 2008.

SAMHSA, an agency in the Department of Health and Human Services, is the Federal Government's lead agency for improving the quality and availability of substance abuse prevention, addiction treatment, and mental health services in the United States.