Health survey reveals substance use, mental health of teens, adults

July 31 (UPI) -- A new health survey released Tuesday shows nearly 1 in 5 people, ages 12 years and older, suffered a substance use disorder in 2023, as more adolescents received mental health treatment than in previous years.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, or SAMHSA, released its findings , which also show more than 22% of all adults suffered mental illness over the past year.

The 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health interviewed people living in households, non-institutional group quarters -- including shelters, boarding houses and college dormitories -- and civilians living on military bases.

The results of the survey do not include individuals experiencing homelessness who choose not to use shelters, active military personnel and people in jails, nursing homes, mental institutions and long-term care hospitals.

"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 Delphin-Rittmon, HHS assistant secretary for mental health and substance use.

Among the specific findings for mental health, 22.8% of adults had a mental, behavioral or emotional disorder last year, while 5% had serious thoughts of suicide. Those numbers are comparable to 2022 and 2021.

But, the numbers of adolescents, ages 12 to 17 who received mental health treatment in the past year increased by more than 500,000 to 31.9% of the population.

For substance use, 3.1% misused opioids in the past year, which again is similar to 2022 and 2021. Of the more than 134 million people older than 12 who used alcohol last year, more than 45% engaged in binge drinking in the past month.

Marijuana was the most commonly used drug with nearly 22% using it in the past year. Vaping for 2023 was up over 2022 with 9.4% of people aged 12 or older vaping nicotine in the past month.

The survey also factored in race and ethnicity and found no major differences among adults in 2023, who believed they had a substance use problem or mental health issue.