National Survey on Drug Use and Health Released, Details Mental Illness and Substance Use Levels in

SAMHSA (1/05) –– HHS has released the results of its annual National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), which shows how people living in America reported about their experience with mental health conditions, substance use, and pursuit of treatment in 2021. [...] It is the most comprehensive report on substance use and mental health indicators that SAMHSA has released to date. Read more

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE REPORT

Substance Use in Last Month: Among people aged 12 or older in 2021, 57.8% (or 161.8 million people) used tobacco, alcohol, or an illicit drug in the past month (also defined as “current use”), including 47.5% (or 133.1 million people) who drank alcohol, 19.5% (or 54.7 million people) who used a tobacco product, and 14.3% (or 40.0 million people) who used an illicit drug.

Substance Use Disorder: In the 2021 NSDUH, the presence of a substance use disorder (SUD) in the past year was assessed based on criteria specified in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM-5). [...] In 2021, the percentage of people aged 12 or older with an SUD was highest among young adults aged 18 to 25 (25.6% or 8.6 million people), followed by adults aged 26 or older (16.1% or 35.5 million people), then by adolescents aged 12 to 17 (8.5% or 2.2 million people). Read more