State Substance Abuse Treatment Gaps

This study estimated the adequacy of state substance abuse treatment rates relative to treatment needs. The investigators created composite drug and alcohol treatment need indexes from explicit-mention mortality and substance-defined arrest rates. The indexes were reliable and had evidence of construct validity, but alternative population-at-risk and survey-based need measures did not fair as well. States varied substantially in per capita alcohol and drug treatment needs, although the two did not correlate with each other. While the need indexes correlated significantly with state treatment rates, the adequacy of state treatment rates varied greatly. States with the largest treatment gaps were in the South, Southwest, and northern plains and mountain regions. The failure of the Block Grant formula to reflect the needs of rural states with high-risk minority populations may contribute to disparities in access to services. (Am J Addict 2003;12:101-121)