NCJ Number
195293
Date Published
June 1999
Length
89 pages
Annotation
This document is a report prepared on behalf of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration detailing substance abuse patterns and prevalence among the employed and the unemployed.
Abstract
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) commissioned a report designed to study the correlation between substance abuse and labor market participation. Data was gathered from prior studies of substance use and abuse including the 1994-1996 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA). Information presented includes an overview of the report’s methodology and the methodology employed in the collection of the underlying data. Data was then analyzed based upon employment status. For the employed category, the authors presented information concerning lifetime substance use, past-year substance use, past-month substance use, binge and heavy drinking, substance dependence, and other mental health concerns. Data for the unemployed, defined here as Aid to Families with Dependent Children recipients, included discussion of substance use, binge and heavy drinking, substance dependence, and other mental health concerns. The data suggest that there is a higher prevalence of substance use among the unemployed, but substance abuse among the employed also produces significant costs including decreased productivity and increases in accidents, absenteeism, medical costs, and job turnover. 24 tables, 15 figures, 13 references, 2 appendices