SAMHSA Releases Results of 2022 Annual Drug Use and Health Survey
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has released the findings of its 2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). The report shows how people living in United States reported their experience with mental health, substance use and treatment related behaviors in 2022.
The 2022 NSDUH report includes the following key findings:
- 1 in 4 people aged 12 or older (70.3 million or 24.9%) used illicit drugs in the past year, a 12.8% increase from 2021.
- 48.7 million people aged 12 or older (or 17.3%) had a substance use disorder (SUD) in the past year (a 4.9% increase from 2021), but only 13.1 million people (4.6%) received substance use treatment in the past year.
- 9 million people aged 12 or older (3.2%) misused opioids in the past year.
- 5 million people aged 12 or older (3.0%) misused prescription pain relievers, and 44.6% of those people said they obtained the pain relievers from a friend or relative in some way (i.e., being given them, buying them, or taking them without asking).
- Almost 1 in 4 adults (59.3 million or 23.1%) had any mental illness (AMI) in the past year (a 2.5% increase from 2021), yet only 50.6% of those (30.0 million people) received any type of mental health treatment in the past year.
“The data is crucial for informing our policies, protocols and understanding of our nation’s health,” said HHS Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use Miriam E. Delphin-Rittmon, Ph.D., the leader of SAMHSA. “This important work better situates policy makers, researchers, practitioners and the general public to understand the collective behavioral health needs across the country and anticipate the needs of future generations.”
If you or someone you know is struggling, SAMHSA’s National Helpline is a free, confidential, 24/7, 365-day-a-year treatment referral and information service (in English and Spanish) for individuals and families facing mental and/or substance use disorders.
Navis Clinical Laboratories offers toxicology drug testing and mental health drug testing solutions to help combat the growing substance use and mental health crisis in the United States. Contact us to learn more about our solutions.
Sources:
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2023). Key substance use and mental health indicators in the United States: Results from the 2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (HHS Publication No. PEP23-07-01-006, NSDUH Series H-58). Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. https://www.samhsa.gov/data/report/2022-nsduh-annual-national-report
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2022). Key substance use and mental health indicators in the United States: Results from the 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (HHS Publication No. PEP22-07-01-005, NSDUH Series H-57). Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. https://www.samhsa.gov/data/report/2021-nsduh-annual-national-report