The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) generates state-level estimates for 23 measures of substance use and mental health problems for four age groups: the entire state population over the age of 12 (12+); individuals age 12 to 17; individuals age 18 to 25; and individuals age 26 and older (26+). Since state estimates of substance use and abuse were first generated using the combined 2002-2003 NSDUHs and continuing until the most recent state estimates based on the combined 2005-2006 surveys, Mississippi has ranked among the 10 States with the lowest rates on the following measures (Table 1):

Abuse and Dependance

Questions in NSDUH are used to classify persons as being dependent on or abusing specific substances based on criteria specified in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition (DSM-IV) (American Psychiatric Association, 1994).

Across all survey years, Mississippi has ranked among the 10 States with the lowest rates of past year alcohol dependence or abuse for all age groups (Chart 1).Rates of past year drug dependence or abuse have been more variable across time, and in 2005-2006 Mississippi ranked among the 10 States with the highest rate for individuals age 26 and older (Chart 2).

Substance Abuse Treatment Facilities

According to the 2006 National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services (N-SSATS,3 the number of treatment facilities in Mississippi was 112. Just over half of these facilities (58 of 112) In 2006, 65 percent of all facilities (72 of 112) were private nonprofit, and less than 10 percent received some form of Federal, State, county, were private for-profit. The remainder (47 facilities) or local government funds, and 34 facilities were owned or operated by Federal, State, or local had agreements or contracts with managed care government(s).organizations for the provision of substance abuse treatment services.Although facilities may offer more than one modality of care, in 2006 the majority of Mississippi facilities (82 of 112, or 73%) offered some form of outpatient treatment. Another 39 facilities (35%) offered some form of residential treatment. Mississippi had one opioid maintenance program, 69 physicians and six treatment programs offered buprenorphine treatment for opiate addiction.

Treatment

State treatment data for substance use disorders are derived from two primary sources—an annual one-day census in N-SSATS and annual treatment admissions from the Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS).4 In the 2006 N-SSATS survey, Mississippi showed a one-day total of 5,912 clients in treatment, the majority of whom (4,035 or 68%) were in outpatient treatment. Of the total number of clients in treatment on this date, 282 (5%) were under the age of 18.Chart 3 shows the percent of admissions mentioning particular drugs or alcohol at the time of admission.

Across the last 12 years, there has been a steady decline in the number of admissions mentioning alcohol, and increases in the percent of admissions mentioning methamphetamine and opiates other than heroin.Across the years for which TEDS data are available, Mississippi has seen a substantial shift in the constellation of problems present at treatment admission (Chart 4). Alcohol-only admissions have declined from 29 percent of all admissions in 1995, to 16 percent in 2005. Concomitantly, drug-only admissions have doubled from 18 percent in 1995, to 37 percent in 2006.

Unmet Need For Treatment

NSDUH defines unmet treatment need as an individual who meets the criteria for abuse of or dependence on illicit drugs or alcohol according to the DSM-IV, but who has not received specialty treatment for that problem in the past year.In Mississippi, rates of unmet need for drug treatment have generally been below the national rate, with the exception of the rates for those age 26 and older (Chart 5).