Fewer Than 1 In 3 Adolescents With Past-Year Opioid Use Disorder Received Substance Use Treatment, 2022–23

Abstract

In consideration of recent US substance use treatment policy changes and unprecedented levels of adolescent opioid-related deaths, we examined the most recent national data (2022–23 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 2022 Treatment Episode Data Set–Admissions, and 2023 National Substance Use and Mental Health Services Survey) on adolescent opioid use disorder (OUD)-related treatment. Only 30.8 percent of adolescents (ages 12–17) with OUD reported receiving any past-year substance use treatment. Criminal-legal system referrals were more prevalent in adolescent (27.8 percent) than adult (17.0 percent) opioid-related treatment admissions; medications for OUD were included in a lower share of adolescent (9.5 percent) versus adult (36.4 percent) admissions. Fewer than one in four (23.3 percent) OUD treatment facilities reported offering an adolescent-tailored group or program, and the numbers of facilities with adolescent-tailored programs varied widely by state and program type. These results highlight opportunities for local and national policies or programs regarding adolescent OUD screening and care coordination, treatment quality, and accessibility.