Study: Few U.S. Drug Abusers Get Treatment

Eight percent of U.S. adults are identified as drug abusers and less than 40 percent with drug dependence have ever gotten any type of treatment.

The National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions was conducted by scientists from the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism in Bethesda, Md.

The survey, published in the Archives of General Psychiatry, shows that the onset of drug abuse and dependence typically occurs during late adolescence or early adulthood.

Our results indicate that in 2001-2002, 2 percent of American adults experienced drug abuse or dependence in the preceding 12 months, while 10 percent developed a drug use disorder at some time during their lives, lead author Dr. Wilson Compton of NIDA said in a statement. We see high rates of drug use disorders in persons who are now 30 to 44 years old. This means we might expect increases in drug abuse and addiction rates of older adults as that group ages.

The study also indicates a significant association between drug abuse and co-occurring mental illness, including mood and anxiety disorders and personality disorders.