2012 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Reports

National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH)

Sponsor

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality (CBHSQ). CBHSQ (formerly the Office of Applied Studies [OAS]) is the data collection agency.

Description

NSDUH serves as the primary source of information on the prevalence and incidence of illicit drug, alcohol, and tobacco use in the civilian noninstitutionalized population age 12 and over in the United States. It involves in-person interviews with sampled persons. Computer-assisted interviewing methods, including audio computer-assisted self-interviewing, are used to provide a private and confidential setting to complete the interview.

Survey Sample Design

NSDUH covers residents of households (living in houses/townhouses, apartments, condominiums, etc.), persons in noninstitutional group quarters (e.g., shelters, rooming/boarding houses, college dormitories, migratory workers' camps, halfway houses), and civilians living on military bases. Persons excluded from the survey include homeless people who do not use shelters, active military personnel, and residents of institutional group quarters.

NSDUH data are representative of the Nation and States. The survey design includes an independent, multistage area probability sample for each State and the District of Columbia to accommodate State estimates of substance use and mental health. The survey design also oversamples youths and young adults.

Primary Survey Content

NSDUH collects a respondent's demographic characteristics; age at first use, lifetime, past-year, and past-month use of the following substances: illicit drugs (marijuana or hashish; cocaine, including crack; inhalants; hallucinogens; heroin; or prescription-type psychotherapeutics used nonmedically, such as stimulants, sedatives, tranquilizers, and pain relievers), alcohol, and tobacco; substance use disorders; substance use treatment; health care; mental health disorders; and mental health service utilization.

Population Targeted

U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized population age 12 and over.

Demographic Data

Age, gender, race/ethnicity, marital status, education, employment status, family income, health insurance, veteran status, and current household composition.

Years Collected

Since 1971.

Schedule

Annual.

Geographic Estimates

National, State, and substate estimates as well as estimates by county type and region.

Notes

Public-use data files for 1979, 1982, 1985, 1988, and annually from 1990 to present are currently available through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Data Archive (SAMHDA) and the archive's online data analysis system (http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/SAMHDA/ ).

Contact Information

Agency home page: http://www.samhsa.gov.

Data system home page: http://oas.samhsa.gov/nsduh.htm.

References

Johnston LD, Bachman JG, et al. Monitoring the Future: national survey results on drug use, 1975-2005. Volume I. Secondary School Students. Bethesda, MD: National Institutes of Health; 2006.

Return to Contents

Substance Abuse Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS)

Sponsor

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality.

Description

TEDS is an admission-based system and is part of SAMHSA's Drug and Alcohol Services Information System (DASIS). TEDS is a compilation of data on the demographic and substance abuse characteristics of admissions to substance abuse treatment. The data are routinely collected by State administrative systems and then submitted to SAMHSA in a standard format.

TEDS does not include all admissions to substance abuse treatment. It includes admissions to facilities that are licensed or certified or funded by the State substance abuse agency to provide substance abuse treatment (or are administratively tracked by the agency for other reasons). TEDS does not include data from facilities operated by Federal agencies. The scope of facilities included in TEDS may differ by State due to differences in State systems of licensure, certification, accreditation, and funds disbursement.

Primary Content

Patient demographics; primary, secondary, and tertiary substance; length of stay; and reason for discharge.

Population Targeted

Admissions to publicly funded substance abuse treatment facilities.

Demographic Data

Age, gender, ethnicity, race, and employment status.

Years Collected

Since 1992.

Schedule

Monthly or quarterly submissions from States; annual report.

Geographic Estimates

National and States.

Contact Information

Agency home page: http://www.samhsa.gov.

Data system home page: http://www.oas.samhsa.gov/DASIS.htm.

Return to Contents
Proceed to Next Section