Ethnie Variation in the Prevalence of Substance Use Disorders in Youth Sectors of Care

Abstract

Objective: Examine ethnic variation in the prevalence of substance use disorders (SUDs) among adolescents who received services in one or more public sectors of care including: Alcohol and Drug, Juvenile Justice, Mental Health, Public School-based services for youths with serious emotional disturbance, and Child Welfare, in relation to age, gender, and service sector affiliation. Methods: Participants included 936 adolescents 13-18 years of age randomly sampled from all youths who were active in at least one of the above five sectors of care (N = 12,662) in San Diego County, California. SUDs were assessed through structured diagnostic interviews conducted from October 1997 through February 1999. Results: Significant ethnic differences in prevalence rates were found in all sectors except child welfare. African-American youths were significantly less likely than Caucasian youths to meet criteria for lifetime and past-year SUDs. Differential patterns of SUDs were found for ethnic groups relative to Caucasian youths. Conclusions: Substance use disorders are prevalent among youths in all service sectors and there are significant ethnic differences that may represent differential substance use patterns as well as disparities in opportunities for treatment versus more restrictive services. Standardized evidence-based assessment and triage protocols may help in identifying and helping youths with substance use disorders in public service systems.