Substance abuse is a concern across the entire American population, but a higher percentage of the minority population is affected. It is important to understand how these groups are affected to be able to provide adequate treatment in communities with a higher percentage of minority groups.
Data from the Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS) can be used to estimate the needs of the minority groups in order to provide treatment for substance abuse disorders. There were about 1.8 million substance abuse treatment admissions in 2007, and 2.2 percent or approximately 40,000 were identified as American Indian. Of the American Indian admissions, 21.5 percent were between the ages of 18 and 25.
The report by TEDS focuses on the information provided for this age group. Because the transition from adolescence to adulthood involves the establishment of social, economic and community relationships, understanding these aspects may help in providing adequate treatment and prevention.
There were approximately 8.600 young adult American Indian admissions in 2007. Of those admissions, about 59.1 percent or 5,100 were male and 40.9 percent or 3,500 were female.
Alcohol was the most common primary substance used by young adult admissions by both males and females among the America Indian population. Males were more likely to report alcohol as their primary substance than females (61.1 versus 44.7 percent). Males were also more likely to report marijuana as their primary substance.
Females were more than three times as likely to report that methamphetamine was their primary substance of abuse. Primary methamphetamine use was also much more likely to be the primary substance used by American Indians than it was for non-Hispanic White or non-Hispanic Black admissions in the same age group.
For both males and females of young adult American Indian admissions, the most common source of a substance abuse treatment referral came from the criminal justice system. Males were more likely than females to be referred from the criminal justice system (64.3 versus 42.5 percent). Females were more likely than males to be referred by other community organizations or to be self-referred.
There was little difference in the types of treatment received by males and females among American Indian admissions. There was not significant differences in the numbers of males and females that received nonintensive outpatient treatment, intensive outpatient treatment, short-term rehabilitation, and detoxification. A higher number of females, however, received long-term rehabilitative treatment.
There was also no significant difference between the number of prior treatment episodes between male and female admissions among young adult American Indians. A relatively small group of the admissions represented young American Indians with some college education. About half of female admissions and about two-fifths of male admissions had less than a high school education. Nearly three quarters of the admissions had no health insurance.
The information provided by the TEDS for young adult American Indians will be important for identifying communities that need additional treatment available. It may be possible to target those young adults who are at a higher risk for substance abuse so that they may receive additional education.
