Longitudinal trends in substance use and mental health service needs in child welfare

These authors examined racial/ethnic trends in patterns of service needs and substances used over a 15-year period among child welfare-involved caregivers in a large, Midwestern urban county. Substance use service needs increased over time among White non-Hispanic individuals and decreased over time for all racial/ethnic minority groups. Mental health service needs increased over time, with the greatest increase among White non-Hispanic individuals. Co-occurring service needs showed a moderate increase in all groups. Trends in service needs across the lifespan were similar across racial/ethnic groups, with needs peaking at ages 30-35. Cocaine use decreased over time for all individuals. However, marijuana use increased for Black/African American individuals, while opioid use increased for White non-Hispanic individuals. Findings have implications for addressing the substance use treatment needs of child welfare-involved caregivers. Modified Author Abstract.