Adults with Co-Occurring Disorders Don't Get Treatment
August 12, 2004
A Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) report finds that more than half of adults with both an alcohol or other drug addiction and serious mental illness don't get the treatment they need, Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Weekly reported July 12.
According to "Adults with Co-Occurring Serious Mental Illness and a Substance Use Disorder," 17.5 million people ages 18 and older had a serious mental illness in the past year. Of that number, 23 percent, or 4 million, also had an alcohol or other drug dependency.
However, the report found that 52.1 percent of the individuals with co-occurring disorders didn't receive treatment. Of the adults with co-occurring disorders who underwent treatment, 34.2 percent received mental-health treatment only, 1.9 percent received only addiction treatment and 11.8 percent received treatment for both mental health illness and addiction.
"The time has come to ensure that all Americans who experience co-occurring mental and substance-use disorders have an opportunity for treatment and recovery," said SAMHSA Administrator Charles Curie. "Unfortunately, there continues to be many barriers to appropriate treatment and support services. Clearly our systems of services must continue to evolve to reflect the growing evidence base that promotes integrated treatment and supportive services."
The report's findings were based on the 2002 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.
About one in five people with addictive disorders also has a co-occurring mental disorder, NIAAA reported.
August 4, 2004
Almost One in 10 Americans Has Addiction Disorder. More than 17 million Americans -- 8.5 percent of the population -- have alcohol-use disorders, and 4.2 million meet the criteria for other drug-use disorders, according to a new survey from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA).
Results from the 2001-2002 National Epidemiology Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions showed that, overall, 9.4 percent of the U.S. population, or 19.4 million adults, have diagnosable alcohol or other drug disorders. The study also found that roughly the same number of Americans -- 19.2 million adults -- have independent mood disorders, such as major depression or manic disorder. Moreover, 23 million adults meet the criteria for independent anxiety disorders, the study found. "Independent mood and anxiety disorders exclude transient cases of these disorders that result from alcohol and/or drug withdrawal or intoxication, conditions that usually improve rapidly without treatment once substance use ceases," NIAAA noted. "The distinction is important because the diagnosis of current mood and anxiety disorders among active substance abusers is complicated by the fact that many symptoms of intoxication and withdrawal from alcohol and other substances resemble the symptoms of mood and anxiety disorders and thus, the additional psychiatric disorder may be overlooked."
About one in five people with addictive disorders also has a co-occurring mental disorder, NIAAA reported. "It would be incorrect for healthcare professionals to assume that the majority of mood and anxiety disorders are due to substance intoxication or withdrawal, and will remit when the patients stops drinking," said NIAAA Director Ting-Kai Li. "These findings suggest that treatment professionals should be prepared to treat or refer patients in stable remission from substance use for comorbid mood and anxiety disorders. Earlier research has demonstrated that, left untreated, such disorders may lead to substance use relapse and other negative outcomes."
The study was published in the August 2004 edition of the Archives of General Psychiatry.
Articles published on the following website: pa-co-occurring.org
Co-Occurring Mental Health and Substance Abuse Disorders