Substance Abuse and Mental Health Issues At-A-Glance

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Industrially, New Hampshire’s most crucial products are electrical machinery, textiles, stone and clay products, and pulp and paper products. There are also an abundance of agricultural products that add to New Hampshire’s resourcefulness, consequently attracting a vast tourist base. However, the issue of drug abuse and alcohol dependency remains. The final 2006 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) states that New Hampshire has steadily ranked among those states with the highest rates based on the measures depicted in the chart above.

Disturbingly, according to the National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services (NSSATS), the amount of treatment facilities in New Hampshire has decreased from 64 in 2002 to 57 in 2006. In 2006, 43 of these facilities were private nonprofit, another 10 were private for-profit, and 1 facility was owned and ran by a tribal government. This decline in facilities is due mainly to New Hampshire losing 7 private for-profit facilities. This is cause for alarm, as the chart above depicts a wide range of drug use, with many individuals falling prey to marijuana, alcohol, and cocaine addiction.

In 2006, there were 42 treatment centers offering outpatient care, 17 offered residential care, 6 offered an opioid treatment program, and 23 physicians and 10 treatment programs were certified to provide bupenorphine treatment for opiate addiction. The 2006 NSSATS survey also shows a one-day total of 4,083 clients receiving treatment; 3,706 were in outpatient care; 502 were below 18 years old. Between 1992 and 2006, more and more individuals needing help for their addictions have sought it (2,149 in 1992 to 5,729 in 2006).

The last 15 years has seen a modest decrease in the amount of alcohol treatment admissions and an elevation in treatment admissions for cocaine and heroin. To be exact, alcohol-only admissions decreased from 40 percent 1992 to 25 percent in 2006 while drug-only admissions increased from 7 percent in 1992 to 23 percent in 2006.

Still, New Hampshire has many individuals who required treatment but did not seek it in the past year. 2006 statistics show that the rates for individuals needing treatment for drug and alcohol use but have not received it have stayed at or above the national rates.

Additionally, the rates of major depressive episodes (MDE) have steadily been among the highest in the country for individuals age 12 to 17 while the rates of SPD for individuals age 18 to 25 have also followed this pattern. New Hampshire’s rates for individuals with psychological problems upon treatment admissions have tripled sine 1992.

With the decrease in treatment facilities, the rising rate of alcohol and drug treatment admissions, and the high rate of those needing treatment but not receiving it, New Hampshire’s residents are urged to take all the necessary steps.

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Resource: www.findtreatment.samhsa.gov