New Report Provides Substance Use and Mental Health Information for Each State
Each week, the Higher Education Center showcases recent developments in the field of AOD abuse and violence prevention in higher education that may include new data and resources, upcoming events and programs, funding opportunities, and learning opportunities. To see a listing of previous This Week! features, visit the This Week! archive.
April 11, 2008
A new report providing analyses of substance use and mental health patterns occurring in each state reveals that there are wide variations among the states in problems, such as illicit drug use and underage drinking, but that no state was immune from these problems. For example, past month use of alcohol among persons aged 12 to 20 (underage use of alcohol) ranged from a low of 21.5 percent in Utah to a high of 38.3 percent in Vermont; however, Utah had the highest level of people aged 18 or older reporting serious psychological distress in the past year (14.4 percent), while Hawaii had the lowest level (8.8 percent).
The report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) showed that although there were some differences in the patterns of substance use and mental health problems experienced among states and regions, all parts of the country were seriously affected by these problems.
“This report shows that although states may be uniquely affected by serious public health problems like underage drinking, every state and region must confront these issues,” said SAMHSA Administrator Terry Cline, Ph.D. “By highlighting the nature and scope of the challenges affecting each state, we can help focus and target substance abuse and mental illness prevention and treatment resources.”
The report, State Estimates of Substance Use from the 2005–2006 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, is based on the 2005–06 National Survey on Drug Use and Health and provides state-level estimates for 23 measures of substance use and mental health problems, including underage drinking, use of illicit drugs, serious psychological distress, major depression, and tobacco use. These estimates are based on combined data collected from 136,110 respondents surveyed in 2005 and 2006 (the most recent data available). The report also reveals statistically significant changes that have occurred within each state between 2004–05 and 2005–06.
For more information, visit the SAMHSA Web site to read the news release and full report.