Clinical profiles of people enrolling in alcohol and other drug treatment in Australia: Do youth differ from young adults and adults?

Abstract

AbstractIntroductionTo examine and compare age groups on socio‐demographic, substance use, mental health, social and risk behaviour profiles of people entering alcohol and other drug (AOD) treatment in a large non‐government organisation (NGO) in Queensland and New South Wales, Australia.MethodsDesign—Cross‐sectional study; analysis of baseline routine outcome measures (ROM) and AOD minimum datasets for drug and alcohol treatment services. Setting and participants—People enrolling in Lives Lived Well, a large NGO AOD service between November 2020 and October 2022. Main outcome measures—Socio‐demographic, substance use, mental health, social factors and risk behaviours, by youth (≤24 years), young adults (25–35 years) and adults (>35 years).ResultsBetween November 2020 and October 2022, 9413 clients enrolled in Lives Lived Well (LLW) AOD services and completed baseline ROMs. Over one‐fifth (21.9%) were youth (n = 2066), one‐third (32.4%) were young adults (n = 3052) and just under half (45.6%) were adults >35 years (n = 4295). The most common primary drug of concern was cannabis for youth, methamphetamine for young adults and alcohol for adults >35 years. Nearly two‐thirds (61.3%) reported moderate to severe symptoms of depression and 55.0% reported moderate to severe anxiety. Just under half (47.2%) screened positive for PTSD and two‐in‐five (40.4%) reported recent suicidal ideation. Co‐occurring mental health symptoms were more common in youth compared with young adults and adults >35 years.Discussion and ConclusionsCo‐occurring mental health symptoms were high in the sample, particularly among youth. All age groups present with unique and complex socio‐demographic and clinical profiles that are important to understand to provide the most appropriate and effective treatment.