Call 888-647-0579 to speak with an alcohol or drug abuse counselor.

Who Answers?

Substance Abuse and Mental Illness – Current Statistics

It is a long-observed conclusion that many people with substance abuse problems also have mental health issues. The debate often rests on whether or not one causes the other and if treatment of one can make the other disappear. This can be a heated topic, as some experts insist on treating both as co-occurring disorders, while others may feel that the mental illness symptoms will can go away when the substance abuse is halted. Frankly, there is evidence to support both theories and practices, and to try and stick all people who display such symptoms into one category or another is a wholesale injustice to those needing help. The treatment should be specific to the individual.

According to the most recent National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), drug use in the past year was more likely among adults aged 18 or older with past year any form of mental illness than it was among adults who did not have mental illness in the past year, which was about 25 percent and 12 percent, respectively.

Substance abuse treatment needs to be individualized.

This pattern was similar for most specific types of illicit drug use, including the use of marijuana, cocaine, hallucinogens, inhalants, or heroin and the non-medical use of prescription drugs. Only alcohol use had a smaller margin of difference, but the rate was still higher among those diagnosed with any mental illness. This was observed for both binge drinking and heavy alcohol use.

The survey found that the more severe the mental illness diagnosis, the greater the percentage of substance abuse. For example, 31 percent of those with serious mental illness used illicit drugs, followed by 27 percent for moderate and 21 percent with mild diagnoses, compared to 12 percent with no diagnosed mental illness. It is difficult to say, however, whether or not if these same substance abusers would be diagnosed with mental illness if they were not under the influence of the drugs.

Overall, 42 percent of the 19 million adults who had a substance use disorder in the past year also had a co-occurring mental illness, whereas only 18 percent were diagnosed with any form of mental illness who did not have a substance use disorder. Turned round the other way, 17 percent of those diagnosed with a mental disorder also met the criteria for substance abuse dependence or abuse, while only 6 percent did for those with no mental diagnosis.

While these numbers certainly are not conclusive of the theories regarding which comes first or how they should be treated, they do paint a clear picture of the fact that mental illness and substance abuse are common traits among each other. When seeking a rehab center for substance abuse, find out if they also treat co-occurring disorders and if so, what are their treatment methods. Hopefully finding the least invasive therapies will work and the more severe treatments will not be needed.

More Treatment & Detox Articles

Are Alcohol Abuse Treatment Centers the Only Option for Recovery?

While traditional alcohol abuse treatment centers operate off of standardized treatment methods, not everyone can benefit from a standardized treatment approach. As different people have different treatment needs, alternative alcohol abuse treatment centers try to approach alcohol recovery from a less restrictive perspective. Alternative alcohol abuse treatment centers offer services more geared towards specific aspects….

How do You Get a Loved One to Go into Drug Treatment?

Getting a loved one to seek help and accept treatment for a drug addiction can be all but an easy task to complete, especially when the addict thinks that there “isn’t anything wrong.” It’s the telltale sign, the always heard excuse of an addict—there’s nothing wrong, they aren’t addicted, they don’t NEED help, etc. So….

Common Misconceptions About Addiction and Treatment

Substance abuse is commonly perceived as a weakness of the mind, body or spirit but misconceptions like this cannot be more wrong. Unfortunately, many common misconceptions persist in the eyes of addiction and even more so when it comes to treatment. Many people think that addiction is a flaw of character when if fact this….

Pain Killers And Stimulants Less Risky Than Cocaine, More Risky Than Marijuana, According To College Freshmen

First year college students believe that occasional nonmedical use of prescription pain killers and stimulants is less risky than cocaine, but more risky than marijuana or consuming five or more alcoholic beverages every weekend, according to a new study published in the September issue of Prevention Science, the peer-reviewed journal of the Society for Prevention….

Alcohol addiction-an overview

Alcohol is an intoxicating liquid, obtained from the fermentation of grains or fruits. The different types of these liquid are the beer, wine and other hard liquors. People in habit of regularly consuming these liquids are sure to develop a compulsive need of these liquids over a period of time, which is commonly termed as….