Date: 11/24/2008
Media Contact: SAMHSA Press Office
Telephone: 240-276-2130

New Nationwide Report Reveals that 5 Million People Participate in Self-Help Groups Each Year

New data indicate that 2.3 million people who participate in self-help groups for alcohol or illicit drug use currently abstain from use of these substances.   Based on a nationwide survey conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the report offers other data highlighting the use and benefits of these groups.

Among the report’s notable findings: 
�?nbsp;An annual average of 5 million persons aged 12 or older attended a self-help group in the past year because of their use of alcohol or illicit drugs
�?nbsp;45.3 percent attended a group because of their alcohol use only and 21.8 percent attended a group because of their illicit drug use only, while 33.0 percent attended a group because of their use of both alcohol and illicit drugs
�?nbsp;45.1 percent of past year self-help group participants did not use alcohol or illicit drugs in the past month
�?nbsp;Almost one third (32.7 percent) of individuals who attended a self-help group for their substance use during the past year also received specialty treatment for substance abuse in the past year. Specialty treatment refers to substance abuse treatment received at a hospital as an inpatient, at a rehabilitation facility (either inpatient or outpatient), or at a mental health center

“This report adds to the substantial body of research indicating that participation in self-help groups can help support people battling substance abuse problems,�?said SAMHSA Acting Administrator Eric Broderick, D.D.S., M.P.H. “Self-help groups often are used in conjunction with specialty treatment and to support individuals seeking help or sustaining their recovery.�?

Findings for Participation in Self-Help Groups for Alcohol and Illicit Drug Use: 2006 and 2007, are drawn from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), a nationwide survey of 67,500 respondents each year.  This report focused on questions asked of persons aged 12 and older about their participation in a self-help group for substance use (i.e., alcohol use, illicit drug use, or both). 

The full report is available on the web at http://oas.samhsa.gov/2k8/selfHelp/selfHelp.cfm. Copies may be obtained free of charge by calling SAMHSA’s Health Information Network at 1-877-SAMHSA-7 (1-877-726-4727). Request inventory number SMA 08-4333.  For related publications and information, visit http://www.samhsa.gov/.

SAMHSA is a public health agency within the Department of Health and Human Services. The agency is responsible for improving the accountability, capacity and effectiveness of the nation's substance abuse prevention, addictions treatment, and mental health services delivery system.

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December 9, 2008

Dear Colleague:

In early 2009, the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes (JAIDS) will publish a research letter authored jointly by researchers at Johns Hopkins University and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  The letter will provide an updated estimate of the HIV transmission rate in the United States from 1977 through 2006 and offers an innovative way to measure the success of HIV prevention efforts nationwide. The on-line version of this letter was posted last week and can be found at www.jaids.com in the Publish Ahead of Print section for November 22, 2008. 

The letter published in JAIDS explains how declines in the rate of HIV transmission represent a major success in HIV prevention.  The analysis found that the rate of HIV transmission has declined by 89% since the peak of the epidemic and just in this past decade, the transmission rate has declined by 33%. This represents major successes in HIV testing and prevention that have resulted in reductions in the percentage and number of persons with undiagnosed HIV infection.  It also likely reflects the effects of evidence-based behavioral interventions with people living with HIV and the increased availability of life-saving highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). These data provide further evidence that prevention does work when we apply what we know, and underscore the need to make HIV testing and effective interventions available to those who are living with HIV and at-risk for contracting the virus.

It is important to note, however, that despite prevention successes, we are facing an uphill battle. Due to successful prevention efforts and treatments such as HAART, many more people are living longer with HIV than ever before. As the number of people living with HIV continues to grow, so will the need for prevention, medical care, and HIV treatment.  Successfully fighting this battle will require continued commitment from all communities—and from the nation as a whole.

To help you further understand the significance of these data, as well as explain in greater detail how the transmission rate serves as an indicator of the success of our collective HIV prevention efforts, CDC has developed a podcast and a fact sheet available at http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/surveillance. We hope that you will find this information useful to the HIV prevention work you do in your community.

Thank you for your continued commitment to HIV/AIDS prevention.

Sincerely,

Richard J. Wolitski, Ph.D.

Acting Director

Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention

National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis,

STD, and TB Prevention