Section 7. Treatment Utilization and Treatment Need

Adolescent male Kentuckians were about as likely to receive alcohol or drug treatment services as female adolescents. However, 14 and 15 year old females were more likely to receive treatment than 14 and 15 year old males. In addition, older adolescents were more likely to receive treatment than younger adolescents. Almost 90% of adolescents who received treatment received services exclusively for drugs or for drugs in combination with alcohol. Figure 7.1 presents the distribution of treatment reason.

Figure 7.1: Reason for entering alcohol or drug treatment (Survey question q118)

Just over one-fifth (21.5%) of adolescent Kentuckians who received alcohol or drug treatment received treatment in an inpatient or residential facility. The remaining 78.5% received outpatient services. Of adolescents who received alcohol or drug treatment services, 85.2% reported at least one DSM-IV-TR abuse criterion and/or at least three DSM-IV-TR dependence criteria in their lifetime. Of all adolescents who reported at least one DSM-IV-TR abuse criterion and/or at least three DSM-IV-TR dependence criteria in their lifetime, only 13.6% received treatment services.

Treatment Need Estimates

Adolescent treatment need is defined as anyone who met at least one of the following:

• At least one DSM-IV-TR criterion for abuse in their lifetime
• At least three DSM-IV-TR dependence criteria in their lifetime
• A self-report of needing but not receiving treatment
• A self-reported desire to participate in treatment if services were more readily available

Very few adolescents reported that they needed but did not receive treatment. An estimated 757 adolescent Kentuckians reported they needed treatment but did not receive it (survey question q130). Of those 757 adolescents who reported an unmet need for treatment, 70.4% had received alcohol or drug treatment in their lifetime. An estimated 3,287 adolescent Kentuckians state they would have used alcohol or drug treatment services if they were more readily available (survey question q125).

An estimated 25,793 (7.6%) adolescent Kentuckians need alcohol or drug treatment. Table 7.1 presents the estimated number of adolescent Kentuckians in need of alcohol or drug treatment by age group and gender. Overall treatment need for Kentucky adolescents decreased from 9.6% in 1998 to 7.6% in 2005. Most of this decrease is accounted for by the lower rates of abuse and dependence in 2005 compared to 1998. Treatment need is highest in western Kentucky (9.0%) and lowest in eastern Kentucky (6.5%). Detailed treatment need estimates by region can be found on page 85 and comparison of estimates to the KNAP 1998 Adolescent Household Survey can be found on page 81.

Table 7.1: Estimated number and percent of adolescent Kentuckians in need of alcohol or drug treatment

Figure 7.2: Estimated percent of adolescent Kentuckians in need of treatment by race and ethnicity