Why do we focus on the exception and not the rule? Examining the prevalence of mono- versus polysubstance use in the general population.

Addiction

Most literature on substance use disorders (SUD) is focused on single drug classifications and does not typically include polysubstance use (PSU), particularly in treatment studies where persons with PSU are often excluded. Using the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) from 2015 to 2019 this study assesses the prevalence of PSU versus mono-use patterns. They found that among those who reported use of at least one substance in the last year, the majority (64%) reported mono-use, primarily alcohol use (90%). However, among those with 2 or more diagnostic criteria for SUD, mono-use was much less frequent (26%) and even less frequent among those who sought care for SUD (22%). Given these findings the authors contend research should include those with PSU whenever possible and consideration of PSU should be part of clinical evaluations and treatment.  

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