Alcohol Abuse: Many Go Untreated

Many people who need treatment for an alcohol problem are not seeking help, according to a new report from SAMHSA’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH).

Alcohol Treatment: Need, Utilization, and Barriers reveals the following data:

• In 2007, 7.8 percent of people age 12 or older—an estimated 19.3 million people—needed treatment for an alcohol problem in the past year.
• Of those who needed alcohol treatment in the past year, 87.4 percent did not perceive a need for treatment and did not receive it. Approximately 4.5 percent felt they needed treatment but did not receive it, with only one-quarter of that group making an effort to get treatment.
• Of those who needed alcohol treatment in the past year, 8.1 percent received it at a specialty substance use facility.
• Averages for 2004 to 2007 show that, among those who felt the need for alcohol treatment, the most common reasons given for not receiving it were not being ready to stop drinking (42.0 percent) and cost or insurance barriers (34.5 percent).

For more information, download Alcohol Treatment: Need, Utilization, and Barriers.