"In this study, the highest levels of comorbidity (six or more comorbid conditions) among veterans were observed among treatment seekers. However, only those with comorbid DUD [Drug Use Disorders] were significantly more likely to seek treatment for PTSD once potentially confounding factors were accounted for. It is of concern that, in the present sample, 32% of veterans with PTSD who did not seek treatment had 6+ comorbid conditions.

"In the 2015 reporting period, mental health diagnoses among individuals served who had co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders differed very little by substance use diagnosis. (Unlike mental health diagnoses, where up to three diagnoses are recorded per client record, each client record contains only one substance use diagnosis. See the final section of Appendix E for definitions of substance abuse codes.)

"• Bipolar disorders were the most frequently reported mental health diagnoses for individuals served who had co-occurring marijuana dependence (29 percent).

"For the 2015 reporting period, states reported a total of 720,987 individuals served aged 12 and older (14 percent of all individuals served) had co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders.

"During this period, the data show that mental health diagnoses differed somewhat across categories for several variables, including gender, age group, race, ethnicity, living arrangements, employment and detailed “not in labor force,” service setting, and timing of admission. Mental health diagnoses were largely similar across SMI/SED status and level of functioning.

Social Determinants and Substance Use: There is strong evidence of an association between social determinants—such as unemployment, homelessness, poverty, and family breakdown—and drug use. Socio-economic status has been associated with drug-related harms such as foetal alcohol syndrome, alcohol and other drug disorders, hospital admissions due to diagnoses related to alcoholism, lung cancer, drug overdoses and alcohol-related assault.

"• Among pregnant women aged 15 to 44, 5.4 percent were current illicit drug users based on data averaged across 2012 and 2013. This was lower than the rate among women in this age group who were not pregnant (11.4 percent). Among pregnant women aged 15 to 44, the average rate of current illicit drug use in 2012-2013 (5.4 percent) was not significantly different from the rate averaged across 2010-2011 (5.0 percent).