May 5, 2010 |
|
As the proportion of racial/ethnic minority groups within the United States continues to increase, it is important that public health professionals understand the specific characteristics and substance abuse behaviors of these populations. Hispanics not only account for almost 15 percent of the nation's population,1 but also comprise 15 percent of all substance abuse treatment admissions.2 Of particular interest are Hispanics of Mexican origin, who represent the majority (64.0 percent) of the nation's Hispanic population.
The Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS) collects information on the race/ethnicity of substance abuse treatment admissions, including the ethnic origin of those who report that they are Hispanic. Using data from TEDS for 2007, this report focuses on Hispanic substance abuse treatment admissions of Mexican origin (hereafter referred to as "Mexican") and highlights gender differences within this population.
Demographics
In 2007, there were approximately 266,900 Hispanic admissions to substance abuse treatment, 110,400 of which were of Mexican origin.3 The majority (72.5 percent) were male, and there were slight differences in the age distribution by gender. Males were more likely than females to be aged 45 or older (17.9 vs. 10.7 percent), and females were more likely than males to be between the ages of 18 and 34 (52.8 vs. 45.2 percent) (Table 1).
Approximately half of all Mexican admissions aged 18 or older had not completed high school or obtained a GED (49.7 percent for males and 50.2 percent for females).
Among Mexican admissions aged 16 or older, 65.7 percent were either unemployed or not in the labor force, although males were twice as likely as females to be employed (39.8 vs. 19.6 percent).
Sociodemographic and Treatment Characteristics | Male | Female |
---|---|---|
Total | 100.0% | 100.0% |
Age | ||
17 or Younger | 15.7% | 16.5% |
18 to 24 | 18.4% | 21.9% |
25 to 34 | 26.8% | 30.9% |
35 to 44 | 21.2% | 20.0% |
45 or Older | 17.9% | 10.7% |
Educational Level | ||
Less than High School | 49.7% | 50.2% |
High School/GED | 39.2% | 36.0% |
Some College | 11.1% | 13.8% |
Employment Status | ||
Full Time | 29.9% | 11.1% |
Part Time | 10.0% | 8.5% |
Unemployed | 27.8% | 28.9% |
Not in Labor Force | 32.3% | 51.5% |
Note: Educational level is evaluated only for admissions 18 years or older; employment status is evaluated only for admissions 16 years or older. Percentages may not sum to 100 percent due to rounding. Source: SAMHSA Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS), 2007. |
Primary Substance of Abuse and Co-occurring Disorders
There were differences in the primary substances of abuse reported by male and female admissions. Among Mexican admissions, males reported alcohol (40.1 percent) as their primary substance of abuse more often than other substances, and females most commonly reported methamphetamine (33.5 percent) (Figure 1). Compared with males, females were more likely to report methamphetamine or cocaine/crack as their primary substance and less likely to report alcohol, marijuana, or heroin.
Co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders also differed between males and females. Among Mexican admissions, females were more likely than males to report a co-occurring mental health disorder (10.9 vs. 6.8 percent).4
Note: Percentages may not sum to 100 percent due to rounding. Source: SAMHSA Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS), 2007. |
Primary Substance of Abuse | Male | Female |
---|---|---|
Alcohol | 40.1% | 24.0% |
Marijuana | 20.1% | 15.7% |
Heroin | 12.7% | 11.3% |
Prescription Painkillers | 0.8% | 2.2% |
Cocaine/Crack | 7.2% | 11.1% |
Methamphetamine | 17.8% | 33.5% |
Other | 1.3% | 2.3% |
Note: Percentages may not sum to 100 percent due to rounding. Source: SAMHSA Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS), 2007. |
Number of Prior Treatment Admissions and Age of First Use
The majority of Mexican admissions (62.8 percent) had no prior treatment episodes. However, 18.1 percent of this population had been in treatment once before, and 19.1 percent had been in treatment two or more times before the current treatment episode. This pattern did not vary by gender.
Age of first use was also similar between males and females. The majority of admissions reported that they first used their primary substance of abuse before the age of 18 (60.7 percent for males and 56.1 percent for females) (Figure 2). Overall, 7.4 percent reported using their first substance before the age of 12.
Note: Percentages may not sum to 100 percent due to rounding. Source: SAMHSA Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS), 2007. |
Age of First Use | Male | Female |
---|---|---|
11 or younger | 7.9% | 6.1% |
12 to 17 | 52.8% | 50.0% |
18 to 24 | 27.6% | 26.6% |
25 to 34 | 8.3% | 12.5% |
35 or older | 3.4% | 4.8% |
Note: Percentages may not sum to 100 percent due to rounding. Source: SAMHSA Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS), 2007. |
Principle Source of Referral
Although the criminal justice system was the most common source of referral to treatment among Mexican males and females, male admissions were more likely than female admissions to be referred to treatment from that source (52.8 vs. 38.3 percent) (Figure 3). Female admissions were more likely than male admissions to be referred to treatment by community organizations (21.6 vs. 12.5 percent).
Note: Percentages may not sum to 100 percent due to rounding. Source: SAMHSA Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS), 2007. |
Principal Source of Referral | Male | Female |
---|---|---|
Criminal Justice System | 52.8% | 38.3% |
Individual/Self | 23.0% | 25.4% |
Substance Abuse Care Providers | 5.7% | 7.6% |
Health Care Providers | 2.9% | 3.0% |
Schools | 2.7% | 3.9% |
Community Organizations | 12.5% | 21.6% |
Employer/EAP | 0.5% | 0.2% |
Note: Percentages may not sum to 100 percent due to rounding. Source: SAMHSA Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS), 2007. |
Health Insurance
About three quarters of Mexican admissions had no health insurance (78.8 percent for males and 71.5 percent for females) (Figure 4), a substantially higher proportion than non-Mexican admissions (62.6 percent for males and 50.9 percent for females).5 Compared with male Mexican admissions, female Mexican admissions were more likely to have Medicaid coverage (13.4 vs. 4.6 percent) and less likely to have private insurance (9.5 vs. 12.9 percent).
Note: * "Private" includes private insurance, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, and health maintenance organizations (HMOs). ** "Other" includes Medicare and other health insurance sources such as TRICARE and CHAMPUS. Source: SAMHSA Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS), 2007. |
Health Insurance | Male | Female |
---|---|---|
None | 78.8% | 71.5% |
Private* | 12.9% | 9.5% |
Medicaid | 4.6% | 13.4% |
Other** | 3.7% | 5.6% |
Note: * "Private" includes private insurance, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, and health maintenance organizations (HMOs). ** "Other" includes Medicare and other health insurance sources such as TRICARE and CHAMPUS. Source: SAMHSA Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS), 2007. |
Discussion
Understanding that male and female Mexican treatment admissions may differ in socioeconomic characteristics, primary substances of abuse, and how they are referred to treatment highlights the need for culturally sensitive, gender specific prevention, intervention, and outreach programs. Understanding the characteristics of Mexican individuals who struggle with addiction problems may ensure that appropriate measures are in place to identify those individuals with substance abuse problems, provide them with recovery and prevention support, and help them to continue with aftercare services which sustain a healthy life, especially in the areas of education, job training, and employment.
End Notes
1 Population Division, U.S. Census Bureau. (n.d.). Hispanics in the United States. Retrieved January 11, 2010, from http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/hispanic/hispanic_pop_presentation.htmlSuggested Citation
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Office of Applied Studies. (May 5, 2010). The TEDS Report: Differences in Substance Abuse Treatment Admissions between Mexican-American Males and Females. Rockville, MD.
The Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS) is a compilation of data on the demographic characteristics and substance abuse problems of those admitted for substance abuse treatment. TEDS is one component of the Drug and Alcohol Services Information System (DASIS), an integrated data system maintained by the Office of Applied Studies, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). TEDS information comes primarily from facilities that receive some public funding. Information on treatment admissions is routinely collected by State administrative systems and then submitted to SAMHSA in a standard format. TEDS records represent admissions rather than individuals, as a person may be admitted to treatment more than once. State admission data are reported to TEDS by the Single State Agencies (SSAs) for substance abuse treatment. There are significant differences among State data collection systems. Sources of State variation include completeness of reporting, facilities reporting TEDS data, clients included, and treatment resources available. See the annual TEDS reports for details. TEDS received approximately 1.8 million treatment admission records from 45 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico for 2007. Definitions for demographic, substance use, and other measures mentioned in this report are available in the following publication: The TEDS Report is prepared by the Office of Applied Studies, SAMHSA;
Synectics for Management Decisions, Inc., Arlington, Virginia; and by RTI
International in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina (RTI International is the trade name of Research Triangle Institute). Information and data for this issue are based on admissions data reported to TEDS through October 6, 2008. Access the latest TEDS reports
at: |
The TEDS Report is published periodically by the Office of Applied Studies, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). All material appearing in this report is in the public domain and may be reproduced or copied without permission from SAMHSA. Additional copies of this report or other reports from the Office of Applied Studies are available online: http://oas.samhsa.gov. Citation of the source is appreciated. For questions about this report, please e-mail: shortreports@samhsa.hhs.gov. TEDS_226 |
This page was last updated on . |