Substance use disorder continues to haunt tens of millions of adults and youth living in the United States, according to the results of the 2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). Yet, most of those surveyed did not seek treatment for substance use nor did they think they should.
These were among the many findings released yesterday by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), which conducts the annual survey to capture a snapshot of the mental health needs of people living in the United States.
Using both in-person and web surveys, the NSDUH asks U.S. civilians aged 12 or older to reflect on their use of tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drugs; substance use disorders; mental health conditions; suicidal thoughts and behaviors; and substance use and mental health treatment. The final respondent sample of 71,369 individuals for 2022 was weighted to be representative of the U.S. civilian, noninstitutionalized population aged 12 and older.
Analysis from the 2022 survey revealed that 48.7 million people aged 12 or older (17.3% of the population) reported substance use that met DSM-5 criteria for substance use disorder (SUD) in the past year—up from 46.3 million people in 2021 (see Highlights for the 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health).
Among the 1.8 million adolescents aged 12 to 17 in 2022 who had an SUD in the past year and did not receive substance use treatment in the past year, 1.7 million people did not seek treatment or think they should get it, the report found. Similarly, among the 39.7 million adults aged 18 or older in 2022 who had an SUD in the past year and did not receive substance use treatment, 36.8 million people did not seek treatment or think they should get it.
Other findings from the 2022 report included the following:
- Almost 1 in 4 adults aged 18 or older had mental illness in the past year; 1 in 12 adults reported co-occurring mental illness and SUD.
- About 1 in 5 adolescents aged 12 to 17 had a major depressive episode in the past year; 1 in 5 of adolescents with an MDE had a co-occurring SUD.
- Over 1 in 8 adolescents aged 12 to 17 had serious thoughts of suicide, and about 1 in 15 made suicide plans in the past year.
- Over 1 in 20 adults 18 or older had serious thoughts of suicide, and about 1 in 60 made suicide plans.
“To tackle the behavioral health crisis in this nation, we need to fully understand the issues surrounding mental health and substance use, and the impact they have on people and communities,” said HHS Deputy Secretary Andrea Palm in a news release. “The 2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health allows us to follow an evidence-based path forward as we provide support for those struggling with substance use and work to build healthier futures.”
For related information, see APA’s Top 10 Things Everyone Should Know About Addiction.
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