Alcohol and Drug Treatment Information
In 2004, 3.8 million people aged 12 or older (1.6 percent of the
population) received treatment in the past 12 months for a drug or alcohol use
problem. Of these, 2.3 million received treatment at a specialty facility for
substance use treatment, including 1.7 million at a rehabilitation facility as
an outpatient, 947,000 at a rehabilitation facility as an inpatient, 775,000 at
a hospital as an inpatient, and 982,000 at a mental health center as an
outpatient. Nonspecialty treatment locations were self-help groups (2.1 million
persons), private doctor's offices (490,000 persons), emergency rooms (453,000
persons), and prisons or jails (310,000 persons). (Note that the estimates of
treatment by location include persons reporting more than one location.)
Persons dependent on or abusing a substance in the past 12 months, or
who received specialty treatment for a substance use problem within the past 12
months, are classified as needing treatment. In 2004, the number of persons
aged 12 or older needing treatment for an alcohol or illicit drug use problem
was 23.48 million (9.8 percent). Of these, 2.33 million received treatment at a
specialty facility in the past year. Thus, 21.15 million people needed but did
not receive treatment at a specialty facility in 2004. The number needing but
not receiving treatment did not change significantly from 2002 to 2004.
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Of the 21.1 million people who needed but did not receive
treatment in 2004, an estimated 1.2 million (5.8 percent) reported that they
felt they needed treatment for their alcohol or drug use problem. Of the 1.2
million persons who felt they needed treatment, 441,000 (35.8 percent) reported
that they made an effort but were unable to get treatment, and 792,000 (64.2
percent) reported making no effort to get treatment.
Among people who needed but did not receive treatment and felt
they needed treatment for a substance use problem, the most often reported
reasons for not receiving treatment were not ready to stop using (40.0 percent)
and cost or insurance barriers (34.5 percent). However, among the people who
made an effort but were unable to get treatment, 42.5 percent reported cost or
insurance barriers, and only 25.3 percent reported that they were not ready to
stop using.
The number of persons needing treatment for an illicit drug
use problem in 2004 (8.1 million) was higher than the number needing treatment
in 2003 (7.3 million); similarly, the number of persons receiving treatment for
drug use at a specialty facility was higher in 2004 (1.4 million) than in 2003
(1.1 million). These 2004 estimates were similar to the corresponding estimates
in 2002 (7.7 million needing treatment, 1.4 million receiving treatment). 6.6
million people needed but did not receive treatment for an illicit drug use
problem in 2004. Of these, 598,000 (9.0 percent) felt they needed treatment.
This number increased from 362,000 in 2002 and from 426,000 in 2003. Of the
598,000 persons who felt they needed treatment in 2004, 194,000 (32.4 percent)
reported that they made an effort but were unable to get treatment, and 404,000
(67.6 percent) reported making no effort to get treatment.
(Data
provided by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's
Office of Applied Studies)
© 2009 Drug-Free Alliance