Uninsured more likely to suffer substance abuse, less likely to get treatment

When it comes to alcohol and drug addiction, people without health insurance are more likely both to suffer from substance abuse and to face barriers to treatment.

A study of 25,500 people in the U.S. interviewed in 1998 as part of the National Household Study on Drug Abuse found that only 9% of people lacking health insurance and suffering from drug or alcohol dependence had received any treatment in the past year.

Data also showed that non-Hispanic whites were three times more likely than blacks to receive substance abuse treatment or counseling.

Li-Tzy Wu, ScD, Center for Risk Behavior and Mental Health Research, RTI International, North Carolina, and coauthors on the study urged more research into the issue, saying "increased attention from the research and policy sectors should focus on the needs of the uninsured population. They appear to face more barriers to services for substance abuse than persons covered through public programs."

The study was published in the December 2003 issue of the American Journal of Public Health.

For more information, contact Li-Tzy Wu, ScD, liwu@rti.org  This article was prepared by Health & Medicine Week editors from staff and other reports.

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