Racial/ethnic differences in access to substance abuse treatment

J Health Care Poor Underserved. 2011 May;22(2):621-37. doi: 10.1353/hpu.2011.0054.

Abstract

A secondary dataset, Collaborative Psychiatric Epidemiology Surveys (CPES), 2001-2003, was employed to examine racial/ethnic differences in access to specialty and non-specialty substance abuse treatment (compared with no access to treatment). The study found that non-Hispanic White Americans were (1) likelier than members of all racial/ethnic minority groups (other than Hispanics) to address substance abuse by accessing care through specialty addiction-treatment facilities, and were (2) also less likely to access substance abuse care through non-specialty facilities. Because non-specialty facilities may have staffs whose professional training does not target treating chronic, bio-psycho-social illness such as substance abuse, our results imply that treatment facilities deemed non-specialty may need to enhance staff training, in order to ensure individuals are properly screened for substance use conditions and are referred for or provided with effective counseling and medications as appropriate.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Asian / statistics & numerical data*
  • Black People / statistics & numerical data*
  • Female
  • Health Services Accessibility / statistics & numerical data*
  • Healthcare Disparities / ethnology*
  • Hispanic or Latino / statistics & numerical data*
  • Humans
  • Insurance Coverage / statistics & numerical data
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Socioeconomic Factors
  • Specialization
  • Substance Abuse Treatment Centers / classification*
  • Substance Abuse Treatment Centers / statistics & numerical data
  • Substance-Related Disorders / ethnology*
  • Substance-Related Disorders / therapy
  • United States
  • White People / statistics & numerical data