Substance Use Disorder Treatment

People with substance use disorders need comprehensive treatment that includes both drug and nondrug therapies to support opioid withdrawal, treatment, and long-term recovery. However, in 2018, only about 10 percent of individuals with a substance use disorder received any kind of treatment, whether through self-help programs, inpatient and outpatient treatment centers, or doctors’ offices. Effective care, including access to programs that pair medications with behavioral therapy, remains elusive for many patients.

To help close this treatment gap, Pew focuses on policies that would expand access to evidence-based care for opioid and alcohol use disorders. 

Additional Resources

America’s Overdose Crisis
America’s Overdose Crisis

America’s Overdose Crisis

Sign up for our five-email course explaining the overdose crisis in America, the state of treatment access, and ways to improve care

Sign up
Quick View

America’s Overdose Crisis

Sign up for our five-email course explaining the overdose crisis in America, the state of treatment access, and ways to improve care

Sign up
Composite image of modern city network communication concept

Learn the Basics of Broadband from Our Limited Series

Sign up for our four-week email course on Broadband Basics

Quick View

How does broadband internet reach our homes, phones, and tablets? What kind of infrastructure connects us all together? What are the major barriers to broadband access for American communities?

Pills illustration
Pills illustration

What Is Antibiotic Resistance—and How Can We Fight It?

Sign up for our four-week email series The Race Against Resistance.

Quick View

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria, also known as “superbugs,” are a major threat to modern medicine. But how does resistance work, and what can we do to slow the spread? Read personal stories, expert accounts, and more for the answers to those questions in our four-week email series: Slowing Superbugs.