Disparities in Access to Publicly Funded Substance Abuse Treatment Across Race, Gender, and Geography

Abstract

Adolescent substance abuse continues to be a public health concern. Certain vulnerable populations, including racial/ethnic minorities, females, and rural residents, still contend with disparities in access to health care. The purpose of this study is to examine disparities in utilization of substance abuse treatment among minority, female and rural adolescents enrolled in Mississippi's (MS) Medicaid program. This secondary data analysis used eligibility and claims data from adolescents aged 12-17 years enrolled in MS Medicaid in 2005. Utilization was examined in two ways. The first considered probability of substance abuse treatment. For these analyses, the sample was the statewide population of adolescent Medicaid enrollees in 2005 (n = 37,047). The second utilization measure examined the age at which the first substance abuse service was received. For the first-use analyses, the sample consisted of adolescents who had a substance abuse service paid for by Medicaid in 2005 (n = 267). Minority and female adolescents were less likely to use substance abuse treatment than white and male adolescents, respectively. Minority, female, and rural adolescents did not significantly differ with their respective counterparts on age of first substance abuse service. Disparities are still present and should continue to be examined in this context.