NCJ Number
233637
Date Published
January 2010
Length
6 pages
Annotation
Using data from the 2007 Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS), this study examines substance abuse treatment admissions among Black young adults (ages 18 to 25), with attention to gender differences in this population.
Abstract
In 2007, among young-adult non-Hispanic Blacks who entered substance abuse treatment, males were more likely than females to report marijuana as the primary substance of abuse (62.8 percent compared to 49.5 percent); however, females were three times more likely than males to report smoked cocaine as the primary substance of abuse (12.6 percent compared to 4.2 percent). Of the young-adult Black males admitted to treatment, 69.5 percent were referred to treatment by the criminal justice system; only 35.7 percent of female admissions had such a referral. Of the young-adult Blacks admitted to substance use treatment in 2007, 50.9 percent of males and 55.1 percent of females had not completed high school or obtained a GED. Most were either unemployed (42.5 percent for males and 43.4 percent for females) or not in the labor force (30.1 percent for males and 38.4 percent for females). Similar proportions of both males and females received short-term residential treatment (7.1 percent and 8.8 percent); long-term residential treatment (7.8 percent and 8.4 percent); or detoxification (7 percent and 8.9 percent). Male admissions were more likely than female admissions to receive regular outpatient treatment (64.9 percent compared to 56.2 percent), but males were less likely to receive intensive outpatient treatment (13.1 percent compared to 17.6 percent). The majority of young adult Blacks admitted to substance abuse treatment in 2007 had no health insurance (76.3 percent of males and 54.2 percent of females). 4 figures and 7 notes