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In 2002, females accounted for 30 percent (565,400) of the 1.9 million treatment admissions to the Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS). This proportion of females to males is quite different from the proportion of females to males in the United States. In 2002, 51 percent of the U.S. population was female and 49 percent was male.1 According to the 2003 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), among persons aged 12 or older, an estimated 61 percent of females used alcohol during the past year and 12 percent used an illicit drug, while approximately 70 percent of males used alcohol during the past year and 17 percent an illicit drug.2
Female and male treatment admissions were similar in some respects. Approximately 60 percent of both females and males admitted to substance abuse treatment in 2002 were White, and both were most likely to enter treatment between the ages of 35 to 44 (about 32 percent each). In addition, about 44 percent of females and males were entering treatment for the first time. However, there were important differences.
Primary Substance of Abuse
Female admissions were more likely than male admissions to be in treatment for opiates or cocaine, and less likely to be in treatment for alcohol or marijuana abuse (Figure 1). Alcohol was the most frequent primary substance of abuse3 for both females and males entering treatment in 2002, but females were less likely to report alcohol as their primary substance compared with males (35 vs. 47 percent, respectively). Cocaine, however, was reported as the primary substance of abuse by 17 percent of females entering treatment compared with 11 percent of males. Females were also more likely than males to report primary stimulant abuse (10 vs. 5 percent).
| Figure 1. Primary Substance of Abuse among Female and Male Treatment Admissions: 2002 |
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| Source: 2002 SAMHSA Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS). |
Age
The average age at admission for female admissions was slightly younger than male admissions (33.3 years vs. 34.2 years). However, females initiated substance use at an older age compared with males. The average age of first use4 of drugs or alcohol for females was almost 20 years old compared with 18 years old for males.
Source of Referral
Female admissions entered the treatment system through different referral sources than did male admissions (Figure 2). For females, the most frequent source of referral to treatment was via self/individual referral (36 percent). Males, however, were most frequently referred through the criminal justice system: 40 percent of male admissions entered treatment through criminal justice referrals compared with 27 percent of female admissions.
| Figure 2. Primary Source of Referral of Treatment Admissions, by Sex: 2002 |
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| Source: 2002 SAMHSA Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS). |
Service Setting
Both female and male admissions were most frequently in an ambulatory service setting (64 and 59 percent, respectively), and female and male admissions were equally likely to be in a residential/rehabilitative setting (18 and 17 percent).5 Females were less likely than males to be in detoxification (18 vs. 24 percent).
Employment
Females entering treatment were less likely than males to be employed6 and more likely not to be in the labor force.7 About 23 percent of females reported being employed full- or part-time while about 34 percent of male admissions were employed full- or part-time. Almost half (44 percent) of females entering treatment were not in the labor force compared with 37 percent of males. Additionally, 33 percent of females were unemployed compared to 29 percent of males.
Expected Source of Payment
The expected source of payment8 for female admissions was equally distributed between self-payment, Medicaid/Medicare, and other government payments (about 25 percent each). In contrast, the expected source of payment for male admissions was most frequently self-payment (34 percent) or other government payments (28 percent) (Figure 3).
| Figure 3. Expected Source of Payment of Treatment Admissions, by Sex: 2002 |
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| Source: 2002 SAMHSA Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS). |
Marital Status
Females and males were similar in their proportions of currently married admissions (19 and 21 percent, respectively). However, females were more likely to be separated, divorced, or widowed (39 vs. 30 percent)9 and less likely to be single (42 vs. 49 percent) than males.
Living Arrangement
The living arrangements of female treatment admissions varied from those of male treatment admissions.10 Slightly more than two thirds (67 percent) of female admissions reported independent living arrangements, indicating they lived alone or with others without supervision, compared with 63 percent of male admissions. Female and males admitted to treatment reported similar proportions of dependent living arrangements (living in a supervised setting such as a residential institution, halfway house, or group home) (24 and 23 percent, respectively). Female admissions were less likely (9 percent) than male admissions (14 percent) to report being homeless.
End Notes
1 U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Reports, retrieved March 25, 2005 from http://www.census.gov/prod/2004pubs/03statab/pop.pdf. Population estimate is from 2002.
2 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Office
of Applied Studies. (2004). The NSDUH report: Gender differences in substance
dependence and abuse. Rockville, MD. October 29, 2004.
3 The primary substance of abuse is the main substance reported
at the time of admission.
4 Age of first use is analyzed for the primary substance
of abuse. TEDS defines "age of first use" differently for alcohol than for
drugs. For alcohol, age of first use signifies age of first intoxication.
For drugs, age of first use identifies the age at which the respective drug
was first used.
5 Service settings are of three types: ambulatory, residential/rehabilitative,
and detoxification. Ambulatory settings include intensive outpatient, non-intensive
outpatient, and ambulatory detoxification. Residential/rehabilitative settings
include hospital (other than detoxification), short-term (30 days or fewer),
and long-term (more than 30 days). Detoxification includes 24-hour hospital
inpatient and 24-hour free-standing residential.
6 Analysis of employment status includes admissions 19 to
64.
7 Not in the labor force includes those not looking for
work during the past 30 days or a student, homemaker, disabled, retired, or
an inmate of an institution.
8 Expected source of payment, a Supplemental Data Set item,
was reported for at least 75 percent of all admissions in 24 States and jurisdictions
in 2002. These States were: AK, CO, DE, DC, GA, HI, ID, IA, KS, KY, LA, MS,
MO, NV, NH, NJ, ND, OH, PA, RI, SC, UT, VT, and WV.
9 Marital Status, a Supplemental Data Set item, was reported
for at least 75 percent of all admissions in 43 States and jurisdictions in
2002. These States were: AL, AK, AZ, AR, CO, DE, DC, FL, GA, HI, ID, IL, IN,
IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MS, MO, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NC, ND, OH, OK,
OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, WA, UT, WV, and WY. Since marital status is associated
with age, analysis is restricted to admissions aged 24 or older.
10 Living arrangement, a Supplemental Data Set item, was
reported for at least 75 percent of all admissions in 41 States and jurisdictions
in 2002. These States were: AK, CO, DC, DE, GA, HI, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY,
LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PR,
RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA, WV. For children (younger than age 18),
dependent living includes living with parents, relatives, or guardians, or
in foster care.
The Drug and Alcohol
Services Information System (DASIS) is an integrated data system maintained
by the Office of Applied Studies, Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Services Administration (SAMHSA). One component of DASIS is the Treatment
Episode Data Set (TEDS). TEDS is a compilation of data on the demographic
characteristics and substance abuse problems of those admitted for substance
abuse treatment. The 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. Approximately 1.9 million records are included in TEDS
each year.
The DASIS 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 a trade name of Research Triangle Institute).
Information and data for this issue are based on data reported to
TEDS through March 1, 2004.
Access the latest TEDS reports at:
http://www.oas.samhsa.gov/dasis.htm
Access the latest TEDS public use files at:
http://www.oas.samhsa.gov/SAMHDA.htm
Other substance abuse reports are available at:
http://www.oas.samhsa.gov
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| The DASIS 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 on-line: http://www.oas.samhsa.gov.
Citation of the source is appreciated. For questions about this report
please e-mail: shortreports@samhsa.hhs.gov
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This page was last updated on May 16, 2008.
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