Andrea Palm, Deputy Secretary | https://www.hhs.gov/about/leadership/andrea-palm.html
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has released the results of the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). This survey highlights how residents in the United States have reported their experiences with mental health conditions, substance use, and treatment pursuits. The report includes estimates by race, ethnicity, and age group, accompanied by two infographics that present data visually.
"Each year, data from the annual NSDUH provides an opportunity to identify and address unmet healthcare needs across America. We're pleased to see that more people received mental health treatment in 2023 than the previous year," said Miriam E. Delphin-Rittmon, Ph.D., HHS Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use and the leader of SAMHSA. "Also, to build upon increasing accessibility to data, this year's release features two infographic reports: one focusing on race and ethnicity and one highlighting selected overall data."
Key findings from the 2023 NSDUH Report include:
**Mental Health:**
- Among adults aged 18 or older in 2023, 22.8% (or 58.7 million people) had any mental illness (AMI) in the past year.
- 4.5 million youth (ages 12 to 17) had a major depressive episode in the past year, with nearly 1 in 5 also having a substance use disorder.
- Among adults aged 18 or older in 2023, 5.0% (or 12.8 million people) had serious thoughts of suicide; 1.4% (or 3.7 million people) made a suicide plan; and 0.6% (or 1.5 million people) attempted suicide.
- Multiracial adults aged 18 or older were more likely than most other racial or ethnic groups to have AMI, serious mental illness (SMI), and serious thoughts of suicide.
- Estimates of suicidal thoughts and behaviors among adults in 2023 were comparable to those from 2022 and 2021.
**Substance Use:**
- In 2023, about 3.1% of individuals (8.9 million) misused opioids over the past year, similar to rates from previous years.
- Of the approximately 134.7 million people aged 12 or older who used alcohol in the past year, about half engaged in binge drinking within the last month.
- Marijuana was used by roughly one-fifth of individuals aged 12 or older during the past year.
- American Indian or Alaska Native and Multiracial individuals were more likely than other groups to have used substances or had a substance use disorder over the past year.
- Nicotine vaping increased from previous years with around one-tenth of individuals aged 12 or older reporting usage.
**Services and Recovery:**
- Approximately one-third of adolescents received mental health treatment last year—a notable increase from prior years.
- Nearly one-fourth of adults received mental health treatment last year—an increase from previous years as well.
- Among those needing substance use treatment last year, about one-fourth received it.
- Many adults perceived they had recovered from either substance use problems or mental health issues.
Conducted since 1971 by federal authorities, NSDUH is a primary source for statistical information on self-reported substance use and mental health within the U.S.'s noninstitutionalized population aged twelve or older.
The Biden-Harris Administration has prioritized addressing mental health crises and drug overdose epidemics through initiatives like HHS Overdose Prevention Strategy, HHS Roadmap for Behavioral Health Integration, and National Strategy for Suicide Prevention.
For support with mental health issues or substance abuse recovery assistance, contact services via phone at "988" or visit FindSupport.gov.
For media inquiries related to this report's findings: media@samhsa.hhs.gov
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