Racial/ethnic differences in treatment for substance use disorders among U.S. adolescents

This study examined differences in treatment rates for substance use disorders (SUD) among adolescents of white, black, Hispanic, Asian, Native American/Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander race/ethnicity.

Eight years of cross-sectional data (2001-2008) were pooled from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health to derive a nationally representative sample of 144,197 adolescents (aged 12-17 years); 12,634 adolescents were identified with SUD in the previous year. Weighted probit regressions were estimated with year fixed effects to examine whether racial/ethnic minorities had lower rates of treatment in any setting, in medical settings (i.e., hospital, rehabilitation facility, mental health clinic, and/or doctor's office), and in self-help programs. Initial models controlled for demographics and health status. Additional models further adjusted for family income and health insurance status.

Among adolescents with SUD, unadjusted treatment rates ranged from 8.4% among blacks to 23.5% among Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders. After adjusting for demographics and health status, blacks (RD = -3.9%, 95% CI = -6.4%, -1.3%) and Hispanics (RD = -2.3%, 95% CI = -4.1%, -0.4%) were significantly less likely to receive SUD treatment than whites (adjusted treatment rate 10.7%). These differences were exacerbated after adjusting for family income and insurance status. Lower treatment rates for black and Hispanic adolescents persisted when examining SUD treatment rates in medical settings and self-help programs. Treatment rates for other racial/ethnic groups did not generally differ from whites.

Results highlight exceptionally low treatment rates for SUD among all adolescents, with blacks and Hispanics experiencing the lowest treatment rates across all racial/ethnic groups.