Mental Health News

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A recent study released indicated that in all the admissions for drug addiction in boys and girls, the girls were more likely to enter a treatment program than boys at an earlier age.  This was across the board for different types of addictions too.  In addition, it found that while the main course into a treatment program for both sides was through the justice system, girls were more often than boys to be admitted for treatment by their families. 

It’s very difficult to accurately say what this kind of information means.  The study has shown that girls get into drug treatment programs at a younger age than boys for drug addiction.  However, it doesn’t show for certain that girls get into drugs at a younger age.  It could be that an addiction in boys is less apparent for longer than it is in girls. The acting out behaviors that are associated with drug addiction in kids could be more apparent in girls, in our society which is inclined to give emotional, unruly boys a break.  Or girls, who have a tendency to mature faster, may really be getting into drugs at an earlier age due to increased social pressure, self-consciousness, lack of positive reinforcement, etc.

The finding that girls are more often to be admitted to a drug treatment program than boys were by their families is also open for interpretation.  It’s possible again, that with the current societal values prevalent today, the behaviors associated with drug addiction and the simple fact that a girl is addicted to a drug are such an affront to the home life that families ship their girls off to a mental health clinic to get better again.  While drug use discovered in boys is to be punished and shook off as a ‘boys will be boys’ attitude, leaving them to engage in harmful drug addictions for a longer period of time.  

It could also be that boys using drugs are just more likely to take part in criminal behavior and get caught by the police, thus shunting them into the justice system for treatment. 

One thing is for certain with study findings such as these.  The answers reveal only more questions and more studies are needed.

In a recent 2005 survey of mental health recovery centers and drug treatment facilities more special programs are being tailored to specific patient groups. The most common programs being offered by mental health clinics are geared towards those with both an addiction and a co-occuring psychiatric disorder, with at least 38 percent of the facilities in the United States offering this type of program.

This is great news for the mental health industry and those suffering chronically with addiction. The road to recovery is long and tedious, but with the right programs, support from counselors and medical personnel and their own strength of will addictions can be managed and psychological conditions treated.

Other types of programs are also being offered for adult women, adolescents, seniors, post-partum moms and those with HIV/AIDS. About 83 percent of all clinics offer at least one special program with even the smallest mental health clinics offering at least the special program geared towards those with co-occuring psychological diseases and an addiction.

There are an estimated 13,371 mental health recovery facilities in the United States at this time and only one third of them responded to the survey so there may be an even greater number of facilities with special programs geared towards specific groups suffering from addictions available to the public. Anyone who has need of help in recovery from an addiction can call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) hotline at 1-800-662-HELP for aid in finding a mental health recovery facility near them.