A new research study that focused on previously incarcerated youth has revealed that more than 90% of males and nearly 80% of females had a substance use disorder at some point in their lifetime.
The staggeringly high numbers are surprising, despite understanding that this basic correlation is prevalent among incarcerated youth. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, which funded the research, the findings of the study also “suggest that substance use disorders after detention differed significantly by sex, race/ethnicity, and substance abused.”
Randomly sampling 1,829 youth from ages 10 to 18 years who entered detention in Cook County, Ill. from 1995 to 1998, the longitudinal study examined how the prevalence of substance use disorders differed by three main factors: sex, race/ethnicity and substances abused as the group grew into young adulthood.
Over a 16-year period, the study participants were interviewed up to nine times and assessed for substance use disorders involving alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, hallucinogen/PCP, opiate, amphetamine, inhalant, sedative and other unspecified drugs. By taking in so many factors, relating to both personal nature and substance used, the findings of the study offered a bevy of insights.
Five key insights revealed in the study:
1. Males had higher lifetime prevalence of alcohol and marijuana use disorder whereas females had higher lifetime prevalence of cocaine, opiate, amphetamine, and sedative disorders.
2. Non-Hispanic whites had more than 30 times the odds of having cocaine use disorder than African Americans.
3. Prevalence of any substance use disorder, including both alcohol and all drugs, dropped as youth aged.
4. The prevalence of substance use disorders among females declined more rapidly than among males.
5. The most common substances abused shifted as youth aged. At younger ages, marijuana was the most prevalent. By the end, when the median age of the participants was 28, alcohol use disorder had surpassed marijuana use disorder.
By examining sex and racial/ethnic differences in the prevalence of substance use disorders in youths during the 12 years after detention, the study opened a lot of doors for further research. Beyond revealing the differences in substance use disorders according to sex and race/ethnicity, the study shows the vulnerability of youth across the board after incarceration.
In conclusion, the researchers highlight an important goal for future funding. “Services to treat substance abuse—during incarceration and after release—would reach many people in need, and address health disparities in a highly vulnerable population.”
