Background Little is known about to what extent treatment-seeking behavior varies across individuals with alcohol abuse, alcohol dependence, drug abuse, and drug dependence. Methods The sample included respondents from the Wave 2 of the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC) who reported a lifetime diagnosis alcohol abuse, alcohol dependence, drug abuse, or drug dependence. Unadjusted and adjusted hazard ratios are presented for time to first treatment contact by sociodemographic characteristics and comorbid psychiatric disorders. Individuals were censored from the analyses if their condition remitted prior to seeking treatment. Results In the first year after disorder onset, rates of treatment-seeking were 13% for drug dependence, 5% for alcohol dependence, 2% for drug abuse, and 1% for alcohol abuse. The lifetime probability of seeking treatment among individuals who did not remit was also highest for drug dependence (90%), followed by drug abuse (60%), alcohol dependence (54%), and alcohol abuse (16%). Having had previous treatment contact for a substance use disorder (SUD) increased the probability of seeking treatment for another SUD. By contrast, an early age of SUD onset, belonging to an older cohort, and a higher level of education decreased the lifetime probability of treatment contact for SUD. The role of comorbid mental disorders was more complex, with some disorders increasing and other decreasing the probability of seeking treatment. Conclusions Given high rates of SUD and their substantial health and economic burden, these patterns suggest the need for innovative approaches to increase treatment access for individuals with SUD.

Painful conditions contribute to the risk of prescription opioid use disorders. To help reduce the incidence of prescription opioid abuse and dependence among adults with moderate to severe pain, careful monitoring and consideration of nonopioid alternative treatments is warranted.

Background Prescription opioid use disorders are the second most common drug use disorder behind only cannabis use disorders. Despite this, very little is known about the help-seeking behavior among individuals with these disorders. Methods The sample included respondents of the Wave 2 of the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC) with a lifetime diagnosis of prescription drug use disorders (N= 623). Unadjusted and adjusted hazard ratios are presented for time to first treatment-seeking by sociodemographic characteristics and comorbid psychiatric disorders. Results The lifetime cumulative probability of treatment seeking was 42% and the median delay from prescription drug use disorder onset to first treatment was 3.83 years. Having an earlier onset of prescription opioid use disorder and a history of bipolar disorder, major depression disorder, specific phobia and cluster B personality disorders predicted shorter delays to treatment. Conclusions Although some comorbid psychiatric disorders increase the rate of treatment-seeking and decrease delays to first-treatment contact rates of treatment-seeking for prescription drug use disorder are low, even when compared with rates of treatment for other substance use disorders. Given the high prevalence and adverse consequences of prescription drug use disorder, there is a need to improve detection and treatment of prescription opioid use disorder.

A substantial increase occurred between 1995 and 2010 in opioid prescriptions in office-based medical visits, especially in visits by middle-aged and older adults and by patients making their first visit to the treating physician. These trends suggest that physicians have pursued greater pain control despite potential risks of nonmedical use of prescription opioids.