Thursday, February 24, 2005

Substance Use and Need for Treatment Among Youths Who Have Been in Foster Care Page at the OAS web site with links to HTML and Acrobat versions of a report based on SAMHSA's National Survey on Drug Use and Health - "Youths from substance-abusing families frequently have serious emotional and behavioral problems, including a tendency to choose risky behavior, such as alcohol or other drug use. Substance abuse is a factor in at least three quarters of all foster care placements, and recent studies indicate high rates of lifetime substance use and substance use disorders for youths in the foster care system.1,2 The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) asks youths aged 12 to 17 if they ever stayed in foster care.3 This report looks at the need for and receipt of substance abuse treatment among youths who have been in foster care. All estimates are annual averages based on combined 2002 and 2003 NSDUH data..."