Estimated Unmet Treatment Need in the US, 2010-2013

"• In 2013, among the 20.2 million persons aged 12 or older who were classified as needing substance use treatment but not receiving treatment at a specialty facility in the past year, 908,000 persons (4.5 percent) reported that they perceived a need for treatment for their illicit drug or alcohol use problem (Figure 7.10). Of these 908,000 persons who felt they needed treatment but did not receive treatment in 2013, 316,000 (34.8 percent) reported that they made an effort to get treatment, and 592,000 (65.2 percent) reported making no effort to get treatment. These estimates were stable between 2012 and 2013.

"• The rate and the number of youths aged 12 to 17 who needed treatment for an illicit drug or alcohol use problem in 2013 (5.4 percent and 1.3 million) were lower than those in 2012 (6.3 percent and 1.6 million), 2011 (7.0 percent and 1.7 million), 2010 (7.5 percent and 1.8 million), and 2002 (9.1 percent and 2.3 million). Of the 1.3 million youths who needed treatment in 2013, 122,000 received treatment at a specialty facility (about 9.1 percent of the youths who needed treatment), leaving about 1.2 million who needed treatment for a substance use problem but did not receive it at a specialty facility.

"• Based on 2010-2013 combined data, commonly reported reasons for not receiving illicit drug or alcohol use treatment among persons aged 12 or older who needed and perceived a need for treatment but did not receive treatment at a specialty facility were (a) not ready to stop using (40.3 percent), (b) no health coverage and could not afford cost (31.4 percent), (c) possible negative effect on job (10.7 percent), (d) concern that receiving treatment might cause neighbors/community to have a negative opinion (10.1 percent), (e) not knowing where to go for treatment (9.2 percent), and (f) no program having type of treatment (8.0 percent).

"• Based on 2010-2013 combined data, among persons aged 12 or older who needed but did not receive illicit drug or alcohol use treatment, felt a need for treatment, and made an effort to receive treatment, commonly reported reasons for not receiving treatment were (a) no health coverage and could not afford cost (37.3 percent), (b) not ready to stop using (24.5 percent), (c) did not know where to go for treatment (9.0 percent), (d) had health coverage but did not cover treatment or did not cover cost (8.2 percent), and (e) no transportation or inconvenient (8.0 percent) (Figure 7.11)."