About half of pregnant teen admissions used drugs or alcohol in the month prior to entering treatment
News — A new report shows that among the approximately 57,000 teenage female (ages 12 to 19) substance abuse treatment admissions each year, about 2,000 (4 percent) involve pregnant teens. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration鈥檚 (SAMHSA) report finds that these pregnant teen admissions tend to face greater challenges than other female teen admissions in a number of key areas such as financial and educational status.
For example, pregnant teen admissions were three times more likely than other female teen admissions to receive public assistance as a primary source of income (15 percent versus 5.3 percent). Similarly in education, while 74 percent of non-pregnant female teen admissions who were not in the workforce were students, only 44.2 percent of pregnant teen admissions not in the workforce were students.
The report also indicates that about half (51 percent) of pregnant teen admissions reported some use of drugs or alcohol in the month prior to their treatment entry. This rate is substantially lower than that of other female teenage admissions (70.9 percent). However, nearly one fifth (19.3 percent) of pregnant teen admissions had used a drug or alcohol on a daily basis in the month before entering treatment 鈥� comparable to the rate among other female teen admissions (24.5 percent).
Marijuana was the most commonly used substance among both pregnant teen and other female teen treatment admission groups (72.9 percent and 70.2 percent respectively). However there were some notable differences in the substance use patterns between the two groups, particularly with regard to the use of methamphetamines and amphetamines. Pregnant teen admissions were twice as likely as other female treatment admissions to abuse these substances (16.9 percent for pregnant teen admissions versus 8.4 percent for other female teen admissions).
鈥淚t is critical that pregnant women of all ages have access to prevention, support, and recovery services that meet their specialized needs,鈥� said SAMHSA Administrator Pamela S. Hyde. 鈥淭hese specialized needs are even more acute for our pregnant teens. Community programs that can address the needs of pregnant teens by providing them both access to substance abuse support services and specialized pregnant and post partum services can help ensure that these future mothers and their children live healthier, happier and more productive lives.鈥�
SAMHSA鈥檚 Services Grant Program for Residential Treatment for Pregnant and Postpartum Women expands the availability of comprehensive, residential substance abuse treatment, prevention, and recovery support services for low-income pregnant and postpartum women and their minor children. These support services include help for non-residential family members of both the women and children. The program uses a family-centered approach that meets the multiple individual needs of the women, as well as the health and well-being of their family members and other important relationships.
The report entitled, Characteristics of Pregnant Teen Substance Abuse Treatment Admissions is based on findings from SAMHSA鈥檚 2007 to 2010 Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS) -- a national system of tracking annual admissions to substance abuse treatment facilities throughout the nation.
The complete report findings are available on the SAMHSA web site at: .
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The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is the agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that leads public health efforts to advance the behavioral health of the nation. SAMHSA鈥檚 mission is to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America鈥檚 communities.
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