What is being done to satisfy demand for substance abuse care?

The US market for substance abuse treatment is projected to reach significant growth over the next decade. According to Credent Research, current market value was valued at approximately $12.8 billion in 2023 and is forecasted to grow to $36.8 billion by 2034, driven by increasing demand for services to treat alcohol, nicotine, and – particularly – opioid abuse.

This market includes a wide range of treatments, such as counseling, detoxification, medication-assisted treatment (MAT), and behavioral therapies. The North American market, leads in size due to the prevalence of substance use disorders and established treatment infrastructure, and represents the highest market share globally with 36%, in data published by Precedence Research. The evidence is clear: the demand for substance misuse treatment is at an all-time high in the US and is expected to continue to grow.

There have been a range of initiatives implemented to accommodate this growing demand. To boost treatment access, substance use disorder (SUD) services are being integrated within primary care settings. For example, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)-funded health centers have received expanded funding to ensure no wrong door exists for behavioral health care access, increasing the reach and availability of services, especially in underserved areas. This includes telehealth expansions and partnerships between pediatricians and mental health experts for real-time support and training new mental health providers to serve high-need communities.

Another initiative being driven to highlight the impact of substance misuse (specifically in the case of opioid use disorder) is that both public and private organizations are constantly focusing on organizing campaigns and programs to make people aware of the negative impacts of substance abuse and support the adoption of addiction treatment amongst the addict population.

There remain key recruitment challenges for the substance abuse treatment sector, include shortages of skilled professionals, compounded by stigmatization and discrimination toward addiction patients, which discourages many individuals from entering or staying in this field. Staffing shortages can lead to reduced treatment quality, high turnover, and limited capacity for new patients. The need to drive advocacy and policy reforms will go some way in reducing stigma in the sector, which will be vital to ensure the workforce grows as the demand for its services increases.

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