Title : Patterns of hospital admissions for substance-related disorders among youth in the United States
Abstract:
Background and Aims: Youth substance use remains a critical public health issue throughout the United States. This study aims to describe the demographic and socioeconomic patterns among patients aged 21 years and under who are admitted for mental and behavioral disorders due to psychoactive substance use, utilizing the HCUP Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS).
Methods: Data from the NIS database was analyzed spanning across 3 years from 2018 to 2020, focusing on patients 21 years old and under with ICD10 codes F10.xx-F19.xx. Descriptive statistics were used to explore the characteristics of n=127,097 discharge cases, including age, sex, race, urban-rural location, median household income quartile for patient ZIP code, and length of hospital stay.
Results: The median age of discharge cases was 19 (IQR 18-20), mean of 18.69. Male to female ratio of 1.19. The majority of the admissions were non-elective (85.2%), with a median length of stay of 3 (IQR 2-5) mean 4.95 days. Most patients were treated in hospitals located in census divisions with high urbanization. Regarding socioeconomic status, a significant portion of patients came from the lowest income quartile by ZIP code (34.3%). The primary expected payer was Medicaid (51.1%). Racial demographics distribution reveals 60.3% White, 19.3% Black 13.4% Hispanic.
Conclusions: The findings reveal that admissions are predominantly among individuals from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, particularly in the lowest income quartiles (34%), highlighting the connection between socioeconomic disparities and the need for inpatient care. Despite a slightly higher prevalence of substance-related disorders in males, this difference is not strongly mirrored in hospital admissions, suggesting differing factors driving hospitalization. These results emphasize the need for targeted interventions that address both substance use disorders and the broader social determinants of health, particularly in vulnerable populations who are more likely to seek inpatient rather than outpatient care. Future research should focus on post-discharge outcomes and further investigate the disparities in care to inform more equitable healthcare practices.
Audience Takeaway Notes:
- The audience will gain insights into the demographic and socioeconomic factors associated with hospital admissions for substance-related disorders among youth, including the significant impact of low socioeconomic status.
- The presentation will highlight disparities in hospital admissions across different racial groups and discuss the slight gender differences in hospitalization patterns, despite a higher prevalence of substance use disorders in males.
- Attendees will learn about the need for more targeted interventions that address the broader social determinants of health, particularly for vulnerable populations that are more likely to require inpatient care.
- The presentation will emphasize the importance of analyzing post-discharge outcomes to better understand the long-term impacts of hospitalization and the effectiveness of current treatment strategies.
- The findings and recommendations from this study could encourage policymakers to use data more effectively in decision-making processes. This might involve the use of hospital admission data to identify at-risk populations and allocate resources more efficiently, or to assess the impact of existing policies on youth substance use and related hospital admissions.
