OLDER ADULTS BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PROFILES

REGION 6

ARKANSAS 

LOUISIANA

NEW MEXICO

OKLAHOMA 

TEXAS

NM

TX

OK

AR

LA

A Behavioral Health Resource

SAMHSA’s State Technical Assistance Contract 

August 2016
OLDER ADULTS BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PROFILES

OVERVIEW

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration 

recognizes the importance of behavioral health for older adults and 

the key role states and communities play in addressing the needs of this 

vital and growing population. Administrators need clear and concise 

information to plan, implement, and evaluate effective prevention and 

treatment efforts in their states. 

The Older Adults Behavioral Health Profiles help states and communities 

identify focus areas for behavioral health plans, select population-level 

goals, and coordinate and target services to address priority issues. The 

profiles compare state trends with those in the region and the nation. 

State and community administrators, planners, and providers can use 

the information in these profiles and their own data, knowledge, and 

experience to establish and implement policies that improve the 

health and future of our valued older citizens.

Disclaimer: Data were current at the time this document was prepared.

Developed under the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s State Technical Assistance 

Task Order. Reference #HHSS283201200002I/Task Order No. HHSS28342002T.
OLDER ADULTS BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PROFILE

Arkansas
OLDER ADULTS BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PROFILE

ARKANSAS’ POPULATION

Arkansas Population by Age Group

Arkansas is home to 2,966,369 people. 

Of these:

• 1,039,212 (35.0 percent) are over age 50.

• 641,099 (21.6 percent) are over age 60.

• 312,786 (10.5 percent) are over age 70.

• 112,772 (3.8 percent) are ages 80 and 

older.

The proportion of women rises fairly 

steadily in each age group, and women 

make up 62.2 percent of the 80+ group. 

The racial/ethnic composition of older 

Arkansans is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity of Arkansans 

Ages 50+

White AI/AN Black Asian NH/PI Other Hispanic

85.2% 0.7% 12.1% 0.9% 0.1% 1.0% 2.5%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2015

AI/AN stands for American Indian and Alaska Native. 

NH/PI stands for Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander.

199 201 204 187 182 194

156

92

43

191 192 199

187 185

204

172

108

70

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

0 to 9 10 to 19 20 to 29 30 to 39 40 to 49 50 to 59 60 to 69 70 to 79 80+

Male Female

Population in 1,000s

Exhibit 1. Arkansas Population by Age Group, 2014

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2015

The Number of Older Arkansans Is Growing

The proportion of Arkansas’ population 

that is 65 and older is growing while 

the proportion that is younger than 65 

is shrinking. The U.S. Census Bureau 

estimates that 20.3 percent of Arkansas’ 

population will be 65 and older by the 

year 2030, an increase of 40.3 percent 

from 2015.

Projected Population in Arkansas

Age Group 2015 2025 2030

Under 18 24.3% 24.0% 24.2%

18 to 44 33.6% 32.4% 31.8%

45 to 64 26.3% 24.7% 23.7%

65+ 15.8% 19.0% 20.3%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2005 0

200

400

600

800

1,000

1,200

2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030

Under 18 18 to 44 45 to 64 65+

Exhibit 2. Arkansas Population by Age Group, 

2000–2030

Population in 1,000s

August 2016

Arkansas
2

Arkansas Arkansas Profile 2016

SUICIDE AMONG OLDER ARKANSANS

Arkansas Suicide Rate Compared With Regional and National Rates

The suicide rate among Arkansans ages 

50 and older is higher than the rate 

among younger age groups. In 2013, the 

total suicide rate among all people ages 

50+ was 21.9 per 100,000 people (8.0 

for women and 37.7 for men). The rate 

among those ages 50–64 was higher than 

both the rate in the region (including 

Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and 

Texas) and the rate in the United States.

States vary in their reporting of suicides. 

The suicide rate is influenced by these 

reporting practices.

17.4

15.1

23.3

20.0

13.1

10.8

19.3

17.5

13.0

10.6

19.0

16.1

0

5

10

15

20

25

All Under 50 50 to 64 65+

Arkansas Region 6 U.S.

Exhibit 3. Suicide Rates in Arkansas, Region 6, and the 

United States, 2013

Suicide Rate per 100,000 Population

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Center 

for Health Statistics (NCHS), Underlying Cause of Death 1999-2013 on CDC 

WONDER Online Database, released 2015

Trends in Suicide Rates in Arkansas

The suicide rate among Arkansans 

ages 50+ fluctuated from a low of 

16.1 per 100,000 in 2007 to a high 

of 21.9 per 100,000 in 2013. From 

2004 to 2013, the rate was generally 

highest among those in the 50–64 

age group.

How a state reports suicides can 

vary from year to year. The number 

of suicides is generally low, so even a 

small difference in reported numbers 

may make the rate fluctuate widely.

0

5

10

15

20

25

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

All ages Under 50 50+ 50 to 64 65+

Exhibit 4. Trends in Suicide Rates in Arkansas by Age Group, 

2004–2013

Suicide Rate per 100,000 Population

Source: CDC, NCHS, Underlying Cause of Death 1999-2013 on CDC WONDER 

Online Database, released 2015
Alabama ALABAMA Profile 2015 Arkansas Arkansas Profile 2016

3

SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER AND SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER 

TREATMENT AMONG OLDER ARKANSANS

30-Day Binge Drinking Among Older Arkansans

Binge drinking, defined as five or more 

drinks for men and four or more drinks for 

women on a single occasion, can lead to 

serious health problems. Such problems 

include neurological damage, cardiovascular 

disease, liver disease, stroke, and poor 

control of diabetes. Binge drinkers are 

more likely to take risks such as driving 

while intoxicated and to experience falls 

and other accidents. Older people have a 

lower tolerance for alcohol. Binge drinking 

decreases with age and occurs more 

frequently among men than it does among 

women. As Exhibit 5 shows, 13.7 percent 

of Arkansas men ages 50–64 reported 

binge drinking in the past 30 days, while 

4.2 percent of those in the 65+ group 

reported similar behavior. 

24.0%

13.7% 

4.2%

12.4%

5.1%

1.4% 0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

18 to 49 50 to 64 65+

Male Female

Exhibit 5. Binge Drinking Rates in Arkansas by Age 

Group and Sex, 2013

Proportion of Population Engaging in Binge Drinking

Source: Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), 2013

Illicit Drug Use Among Older Americans

Nationally, the rate of illicit drug use 

among older adults ages 50–64 more 

than doubled from 2002 to 2013. 

This development partially reflects the 

entrance into this age group of the 

baby boom cohort, whose rates of 

illicit drug use have been higher than 

those of older cohorts. Although statespecific data are not available, the 

Arkansas Behavioral Health Barometer

is available for download from the 

Substance Abuse and Mental Health 

Services Administration (SAMHSA) 

website (www.samhsa.gov/data 

/population-data-nsduh 

/reports?tab=33). 0%

1%

2%

3%

4%

5%

6%

7%

8%

9%

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

50 to 54 55 to 59 60 to 64

Exhibit 6. Illicit Drug Use Among Older Americans, 

2002–2013

Proportion Using in Past Month

Source: National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 2013

Illicit drug use includes illegal drugs and prescription drugs used nonmedically. SAMHSA 

provides a list of drugs included in its survey in the NSDUH methodological summary.
4

Arkansas Arkansas Profile 2016

Admissions to Substance Use Disorder Treatment Among Older Arkansans

In 2012, there were 1,242 admissions 

of Arkansans ages 50 and older 

to substance use disorder (SUD) 

treatment in state-funded treatment 

programs, a rate of 119.5 per 100,000 

people ages 50+. This rate was higher 

than the regional rate and lower than 

the national average. Men made up 

74.8 percent of these admissions. Of all 

admissions, 75.2 percent were White/

Caucasian, 23.0 percent were Black/

African American, and 0.8 percent were 

Hispanic.

The principal sources of referral to 

treatment among those ages 50 and 

older were: 

Self-Referral Criminal Justice Other

47.9% 32.9% 19.2%

191.8

115.8

383.2

56.4 42.9

120.3

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

Arkansas Region 6 U.S.

Male Female

Exhibit 7. SUD Treatment Admissions of Adults Ages 50+ 

in Arkansas, Region 6, and the United States by Sex, 2012

SUD Admission Rate per 100,000 Population

Source: Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS), 20121

1

 TEDS data are collected by states as a condition of the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant. Guidelines suggest that states report all clients 

admitted to publicly financed treatment; however, states are inconsistent in applying the guidelines. States may structure and implement different quality controls 

over the data. For example, states may collect different categories of information to answer TEDS questions. Information is then “walked over” to TEDS definitions.

Data include only those clients reported to SAMHSA.

SUD Treatment Admissions Among Arkansans Ages 50+ by Insurance Type 

In Arkansas, 70.2 percent of older adult 

admissions to SUD treatment were 

uninsured, 6.7 percent had Medicaid, 

13.4 percent had Medicare, and 9.7 

percent had private insurance.

SUD Treatment Admissions Among 

Arkansans Ages 50+ by Primary 

Sources of Payment

Self-Pay Medicaid Other

28.2% 0.2% 71.5%

Self-pay data include private insurance.

Exhibit 8 and the accompanying text reflect the type of 

health insurance (if any) clients had at admission; the table 

above represents primary sources of payment.

9.7% 6.7% 

13.4% 

70.2% 

3.4% 10.2%

6.4% 

80.0% 

14.9% 

20.4% 

10.8% 

53.9% 

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

Private Medicaid Medicare None

Arkansas Region 6 U.S.

Exhibit 8. SUD Treatment Admissions of Adults Ages 50+ 

in Arkansas, Region 6, and the United States by 

Insurance Type, 2012

Proportion of SUD Treatment Admissions of Adults Ages 50+ by Insurance Type

Source: TEDS, 2012

Data include only those clients reported to SAMHSA.
Alabama ALABAMA Profile 2015 Arkansas Arkansas Profile 2016

5

Alcohol Use Disorder Treatment Admissions Among Arkansans Ages 50+

Alcohol was the most frequently cited 

substance used by older Arkansans 

in publicly financed SUD treatment in 

2012. It was mentioned as a substance 

of use in 64.1 percent of admissions 

among those ages 50+. This was 

higher than the regional and national 

rates. 64.1%

54.6%

62.1%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

Arkansas Region 6 U.S.

Exhibit 9. Alcohol Use Treatment Admissions of Adults 

Ages 50+ in Arkansas, Region 6, and the United States, 

2012

Proportion of Treatment Admissions 50+ With Primary Alcohol Use Disorder

Source: TEDS, 2012

Data include only those clients reported to SAMHSA.

SUD Treatment Admissions for Non-Alcohol Substance Use

Substances other than alcohol were 

cited as the primary substances of 

use for 35.9 percent of older adult 

admissions to publicly funded 

treatment in Arkansas.

35.9%

45.4%

37.9%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

50%

Arkansas Region 6 U.S.

Exhibit 10. Non-Alcohol Substance Use Treatment 

Admissions of Adults Ages 50+ in Arkansas, Region 6, 

and the United States, 2012

Proportion of Treatment Admissions 50+ With Other Primary Substance Use Disorder

Source: TEDS, 2012

Data include only those clients reported to SAMHSA.
6

Arkansas Arkansas Profile 2016

Drug-Related Emergency Department Visits Involving Pharmaceutical Misuse 

and Abuse by Older Adults

SAMHSA periodically releases reports from the Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN). DAWN, discontinued 

in 2011, consisted of a nationwide network of hospital emergency departments (EDs) primarily located in 

large metropolitan areas. DAWN data consist of professional reviews of ED records to determine the extent 

to which alcohol and other substance abuse was involved in ED visits. According to the November 25, 2010, 

DAWN Report:

• In 2004, there were an estimated 115,803 ED visits involving pharmaceutical misuse and abuse by adults 

aged 50 or older; in 2008, there were 256,097 such visits, representing an increase of 121.1 percent 

• One fifth (19.7 percent) of ED visits involving pharmaceutical misuse and abuse among older adults were 

made by persons aged 70 or older 

• Among ED visits made by older adults, pain relievers were the type of pharmaceutical most commonly 

involved (43.5 percent), followed by drugs used to treat anxiety or insomnia (31.8 percent) and 

antidepressants (8.6 percent) 

• Among patients aged 50 or older who visited the ED for pharmaceutical misuse or abuse, more than half 

(52.3 percent) were treated and released, and more than one third (37.5 percent) were admitted to the 

hospital 

Bulleted text in italics above is taken from SAMHSA’s Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality. (2010, November 25). The DAWN Report: Drugrelated emergency department visits involving pharmaceutical misuse and abuse by older adults. Rockville, MD: SAMHSA.

CO-OCCURRING SUBSTANCE USE AND MENTAL DISORDERS

Older Arkansans in SUD Treatment With Co-Occurring Mental Disorders

The national literature shows a strong 

relationship between substance use 

and mental disorders. Studies show 

that 30–80 percent of individuals with a 

substance use or mental disorder also 

have a co-occurring disorder. 

Exhibit 11 shows the proportion 

of SUD treatment admissions of 

Arkansans ages 50+ with a cooccurring mental disorder. This rate 

is lower than the regional rate and 

the national average. However, state 

reporting practices are a factor in 

these results.

26.7%

40.2%

33.7%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

Arkansas Region 6 U.S.

Exhibit 11. SUD Treatment Admissions of Adults Ages 50+ 

With a Co-Occurring Mental Disorder in Arkansas, Region 6, 

and the United States, 2012

Proportion of Treatment Admissions 50+ With Co-Occurring Disorders

Source: TEDS, 2012

Data include only those clients reported to SAMHSA.
Alabama ALABAMA Profile 2015 Arkansas Arkansas Profile 2016

7

MENTAL HEALTH

Older Arkansans Reporting Frequent Mental Distress

BRFSS, a household survey conducted 

in all 50 states and several territories, 

asks the following question: “Now 

thinking about your mental health, 

which includes stress, depression, 

and problems with emotions, for how 

many days during the past 30 days 

was your mental health not good?” 

Those individuals reporting 14 or more 

“Yes” days in response to this question 

experience frequent mental distress 

(FMD). Exhibit 12 shows that older 

Arkansans experience FMD at a rate 

that is higher than the regional and 

national rates.

16.1% 16.7%

8.4%

12.3% 12.4%

6.8%

12.3%

13.0%

7.2%

0%

2%

4%

6%

8%

10%

12%

14%

16%

18%

18 to 49 50 to 64 65+

Arkansas Region 6 U.S.

Exhibit 12. Individuals Reporting Frequent Mental Distress 

in Arkansas, Region 6, and the United States, 2013

Proportion Reporting Frequent Mental Distress

Source: BRFSS, 2013

Older Arkansans Reporting Frequent Mental Distress by Age Group and Sex

Older men in Arkansas were more likely 

to indulge in binge drinking, but older 

women were more likely to report that 

they had FMD (14 days or more per 

30-day period). As Exhibit 13 shows, 

19.6 percent of women in the 50–64 age 

group and 10.8 percent in the 65+ age 

group reported FMD, while 13.6 percent 

of men in the 50–64 age group and 

5.3 percent in the 65+ age group 

reported FMD. 11.0%

21.2%

13.6%

19.6%

5.3%

10.8%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

Male Female

18 to 49 50 to 64 65+

Exhibit 13. Arkansans Reporting Frequent Mental 

Distress by Age Group and Sex, 2013

Proportion Reporting Frequent Mental Distress

Source: BRFSS, 2013
8

Arkansas Arkansas Profile 2016

Other Measures of Mental Health

BRFSS collected other measures showing risk factors for mental and/or physical illness. These included:

• Social and Emotional Support (2010). BRFSS asked, “How often do you get the social and emotional 

support you need?” The possible responses were always, usually, sometimes, rarely, or never. 

• Life Satisfaction (2010). BRFSS asked, “In general, how satisfied are you with your life?” The possible 

responses were very satisfied, satisfied, dissatisfied, or very dissatisfied.

Exhibit 14 presents the results of these surveys among older Arkansans.

Exhibit 14. BRFSS Measures, 2010

Indicator Ages 50+ Ages 50–64 Ages 65+

Rarely or never get social 

or emotional support 9.3% 7.7% 11.6%

Dissatisfied or very 

dissatisfied 4.5% 5.5% 3.2%

Source: BRFSS, 2010

Individuals With Frequent Mental Distress Report High Rates of Poor Physical 

Health

Older Americans who experienced FMD 

were more likely to report that their 

physical health was poor (14 days or 

more in the past 30-day period when 

physical health was “not good”). As 

shown in Exhibit 15, although nearly 

11 percent of older Americans with no 

mental distress reported poor physical 

health, more than 50 percent of those 

with FMD reported poor physical health.

10.8%

18.1%

52.4%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

No mental distress Some mental distress Frequent mental distress

Exhibit 15. Individuals Ages 50+ in the United States 

Reporting Poor Physical Health by Level of Mental 

Distress, 2013

Proportion Reporting Poor Physical Health

Source: BRFSS, 2013
Alabama ALABAMA Profile 2015 Arkansas Arkansas Profile 2016

9

Relationship Among Mental Distress, Diabetes, Stroke, Heart Attack, 

High Blood Pressure, and Coronary Disease

Older Americans who experience FMD 

are more likely to report that they have 

health problems. People with FMD 

were more than twice as likely to report 

having a stroke than those with some 

or no mental distress. They experienced 

coronary disease and heart attack at 

more than 1.6 times, diabetes at more 

than 1.4 times, and high blood pressure 

at nearly 1.2 times the rate of those with 

some or no mental distress.

10.1%

13.3% 13.2%

25.9%

60.6%

4.7%

7.6% 7.8%

17.7%

51.1%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

Stroke Coronary disease Heart attack Diabetes High blood pressure

Frequent mental distress Some or no mental distress

Exhibit 16. Individuals Ages 50+ in the United States 

With Mental Distress and Serious Health Problems, 2013

Proportion Reporting Health Problems by Mental Health Category

Source: BRFSS, 2013

Older Arkansans Admitted to State Mental Health Services

Approximately 3.3 percent of the people served by the Arkansas mental health system were ages 65 and 

older. This represents more than 2,240 adults.

Source: Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) Uniform Reporting System (URS) Output Tables, 2014
10 Arkansas Arkansas Profile 2016

DATA SOURCES

BEHAVIORAL RISK FACTOR SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM (www.cdc.gov/brfss). BRFSS, managed by CDC, 

is the largest ongoing telephone health survey system in the world, tracking health conditions and risk 

behaviors in the United States annually since 1984. Data are collected on a monthly basis in all 50 states, 

the District of Columbia, and participating territories. BRFSS data are collected by local jurisdictions and 

reported to CDC.

CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION, NATIONAL CENTER FOR HEALTH 

STATISTICS, UNDERLYING CAUSE OF DEATH 1999-2013 ON CDC WONDER ONLINE DATABASE, 

RELEASED 2015 (http://wonder.cdc.gov/ucd-icd10.html). The WONDER online database “contains 

mortality and population counts for all U.S. counties. Data are based on death certificates for U.S. 

residents. Each death certificate identifies a single underlying cause of death and demographic data. 

The number of deaths, crude death rates or age-adjusted death rates, and 95% confidence intervals 

and standard errors for death rates can be obtained by place of residence (total U.S., region, state and 

county), age group (single-year-of age, 5-year age groups, 10-year age groups and infant age groups), 

race, Hispanic ethnicity, gender, year, cause-of-death (4-digit ICD-10 code or group of codes), injury 

intent and injury mechanism, drug/alcohol induced causes and urbanization categories. Data are also 

available for place of death, month and week day of death, and whether an autopsy was performed.”

CENTER FOR MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES UNIFORM REPORTING SYSTEM (www.samhsa.gov/data

/us_map). States that receive CMHS Block Grants are required to report aggregate data to URS. URS 

reports include information about utilization of mental health services and client demographic and 

outcome information.

NATIONAL SURVEY ON DRUG USE AND HEALTH (https://nsduhweb.rti.org). The NSDUH, managed 

by SAMHSA, is “an annual nationwide survey involving interviews with approximately 70,000 randomly 

selected individuals aged 12 and older.” NSDUH data are most frequently used by state planners 

to assess the need for SUD treatment. NSDUH data also include information about mental health 

conditions.

TREATMENT EPISODE DATA SET (www.samhsa.gov/data/client-level-data-teds/reports?tab=19). States 

that receive Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant funds submit individual client data 

to TEDS. TEDS includes both admission and discharge data sets, and some 1.5 million admissions are 

reported annually. TEDS includes information about utilization of SUD treatment services and client 

demographic and outcome information. TEDS is an admission-based system, and TEDS admissions do 

not represent individuals. Thus, an individual admitted to treatment twice within a calendar year would 

be counted as two admissions.

U.S. CENSUS BUREAU (www.census.gov/people). Two main sources of Census Bureau data were used 

in this report: (1) population estimates and (2) population projections.
OLDER ADULTS BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PROFILE

Louisiana
OLDER ADULTS BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PROFILE

LOUISIANA’S POPULATION

Louisiana Population by Age Group

Louisiana is home to 4,649,676 people. 

Of these:

• 1,544,074 (33.2 percent) are over age 50.

• 904,073 (19.4 percent) are over age 60.

• 416,473 (9.0 percent) are over age 70.

• 151,994 (3.3 percent) are ages 80 and 

older.

The proportion of women rises fairly 

steadily in each age group, and women 

make up 63.3 percent of the 80+ group. 

The racial/ethnic composition of older 

Louisianians is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity of Louisianians 

Ages 50+

White AI/AN Black Asian NH/PI Other Hispanic

70.3% 0.6% 27.0% 1.3% 0.0% 0.7% 2.8%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2015

AI/AN stands for American Indian and Alaska Native. 

NH/PI stands for Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander.

317 310

346

307 279 310

231

117

56

305 298

343

310

290

330

256

147

96

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

0 to 9 10 to 19 20 to 29 30 to 39 40 to 49 50 to 59 60 to 69 70 to 79 80+

Male Female

Population in 1,000s

Exhibit 1. Louisiana Population by Age Group, 2014

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2015

The Number of Older Louisianians Is Growing

The proportion of Louisiana’s 

population that is 65 and older is 

growing while the proportion that 

is younger than 65 is shrinking. The 

U.S. Census Bureau estimates that 

19.7 percent of Louisiana’s population 

will be 65 and older by the year 2030, 

an increase of 42.2 percent from 2015.

Projected Population in Louisiana

Age Group 2015 2025 2030

Under 18 25.2% 24.2% 23.9%

18 to 44 35.1% 34.5% 33.7%

45 to 64 25.5% 23.1% 22.7%

65+ 14.2% 18.2% 19.7%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2005

0

200

400

600

800

1,000

1,200

1,400

1,600

1,800

2,000

2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030

Under 18 18 to 44 45 to 64 65+

Exhibit 2. Louisiana Population by Age Group, 2000–2030

Population in 1,000s

August 2016

Louisiana
2

Louisiana Louisiana Profile 2016

SUICIDE AMONG OLDER LOUISIANIANS

Louisiana Suicide Rate Compared With Regional and National Rates

The suicide rate among Louisianians 

ages 50 and older is higher than the rate 

among younger age groups. In 2013, the 

total suicide rate among all people ages 

50+ was 17.4 per 100,000 people (7.1 

for women and 29.3 for men). The rate 

among those ages 50–64 was lower than 

both the rate in the region (including 

Arkansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and 

Texas) and the rate in the United States.

States vary in their reporting of suicides. 

The suicide rate is influenced by these 

reporting practices.

12.6

10.3

17.9

16.6

13.1

10.8

19.3

17.5

13.0

10.6

19.0

16.1

0

5

10

15

20

25

All Under 50 50 to 64 65+

Louisiana Region 6 U.S.

Exhibit 3. Suicide Rates in Louisiana, Region 6, and the 

United States, 2013

Suicide Rate per 100,000 Population

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Center 

for Health Statistics (NCHS), Underlying Cause of Death 1999-2013 on CDC 

WONDER Online Database, released 2015

Trends in Suicide Rates in Louisiana

The suicide rate among Louisianians 

ages 50+ fluctuated from a low of 

12.7 per 100,000 in 2006 to a high 

of 17.4 per 100,000 in 2013. From 

2004 to 2013, the rate was generally 

highest among those in the 50–64 

age group.

How a state reports suicides can 

vary from year to year. The number 

of suicides is generally low, so even a 

small difference in reported numbers 

may make the rate fluctuate widely.

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

All ages Under 50 50+ 50 to 64 65+

Exhibit 4. Trends in Suicide Rates in Louisiana by Age Group, 

2004–2013

Suicide Rate per 100,000 Population

Source: CDC, NCHS, Underlying Cause of Death 1999-2013 on CDC WONDER 

Online Database, released 2015
Alabama ALABAMA Profile 2015 Louisiana Louisiana Profile 2016

3

SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER AND SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER 

TREATMENT AMONG OLDER LOUISIANIANS

30-Day Binge Drinking Among Older Louisianians

Binge drinking, defined as five or more 

drinks for men and four or more drinks for 

women on a single occasion, can lead to 

serious health problems. Such problems 

include neurological damage, cardiovascular 

disease, liver disease, stroke, and poor 

control of diabetes. Binge drinkers are 

more likely to take risks such as driving 

while intoxicated and to experience falls 

and other accidents. Older people have a 

lower tolerance for alcohol. Binge drinking 

decreases with age and occurs more 

frequently among men than it does among 

women. As Exhibit 5 shows, 18.8 percent 

of Louisiana men ages 50–64 reported 

binge drinking in the past 30 days, while 

7.7 percent of those in the 65+ group 

reported similar behavior. 

26.7%

18.8% 

7.7%

16.4%

6.4%

3.1%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

18 to 49 50 to 64 65+

Male Female

Exhibit 5. Binge Drinking Rates in Louisiana by Age 

Group and Sex, 2013

Proportion of Population Engaging in Binge Drinking

Source: Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), 2013

Illicit Drug Use Among Older Americans

Nationally, the rate of illicit drug use 

among older adults ages 50–64 more 

than doubled from 2002 to 2013. 

This development partially reflects the 

entrance into this age group of the 

baby boom cohort, whose rates of 

illicit drug use have been higher than 

those of older cohorts. Although statespecific data are not available, the 

Louisiana Behavioral Health Barometer

is available for download from the 

Substance Abuse and Mental Health 

Services Administration (SAMHSA) 

website (www.samhsa.gov/data 

/population-data-nsduh 

/reports?tab=33). 0%

1%

2%

3%

4%

5%

6%

7%

8%

9%

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

50 to 54 55 to 59 60 to 64

Exhibit 6. Illicit Drug Use Among Older Americans, 

2002–2013

Proportion Using in Past Month

Source: National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 2013

Illicit drug use includes illegal drugs and prescription drugs used nonmedically. SAMHSA 

provides a list of drugs included in its survey in the NSDUH methodological summary.
4

Louisiana Louisiana Profile 2016

Admissions to Substance Use Disorder Treatment Among Older Louisianians

In 2012, there were 1,897 admissions 

of Louisianians ages 50 and older 

to substance use disorder (SUD) 

treatment in state-funded treatment 

programs, a rate of 122.9 per 100,000 

people ages 50+. This rate was higher 

than the regional rate and lower than 

the national average. Men made up 

69.5 percent of these admissions. Of all 

admissions, 55.1 percent were White/

Caucasian, 43.2 percent were Black/

African American, and 1.6 percent 

were Hispanic.

The principal sources of referral to 

treatment among those ages 50 and 

older were: 

Self-Referral Criminal Justice Other

48.8% 14.7% 36.4%

184.0

115.8

383.2

69.6

42.9

120.3

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

Louisiana Region 6 U.S.

Male Female

Exhibit 7. SUD Treatment Admissions of Adults Ages 50+ 

in Louisiana, Region 6, and the United States by Sex, 2012

SUD Admission Rate per 100,000 Population

Source: Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS), 20121

1

 TEDS data are collected by states as a condition of the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant. Guidelines suggest that states report all clients 

admitted to publicly financed treatment; however, states are inconsistent in applying the guidelines. States may structure and implement different quality controls 

over the data. For example, states may collect different categories of information to answer TEDS questions. Information is then “walked over” to TEDS definitions.

Data include only those clients reported to SAMHSA.

SUD Treatment Admissions Among Louisianians Ages 50+ by Insurance Type 

In Louisiana, 77.0 percent of older 

adult admissions to SUD treatment 

were uninsured, 10.5 percent had 

Medicaid, 6.0 percent had Medicare, 

and 6.5 percent had private insurance.

SUD Treatment Admissions Among 

Louisianians Ages 50+ by Primary 

Sources of Payment

Self-Pay Medicaid Other

12.4% 3.7% 83.9%

Self-pay data include private insurance.

Exhibit 8 and the accompanying text reflect the type of 

health insurance (if any) clients had at admission; the table 

above represents primary sources of payment.

6.5%

10.5%

6.0%

77.0%

3.4% 10.2%

6.4%

80.0%

14.9%

20.4%

10.8%

53.9%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

Private Medicaid Medicare None

Louisiana Region 6 U.S.

Exhibit 8. SUD Treatment Admissions of Adults Ages 50+ 

in Louisiana, Region 6, and the United States by 

Insurance Type, 2012

Proportion of SUD Treatment Admissions of Adults Ages 50+ by Insurance Type

Source: TEDS, 2012

Data include only those clients reported to SAMHSA.
Alabama ALABAMA Profile 2015 Louisiana Louisiana Profile 2016

5

Alcohol Use Disorder Treatment Admissions Among Louisianians Ages 50+

Alcohol was the most frequently cited 

substance used by older Louisianians 

in publicly financed SUD treatment in 

2012. It was mentioned as a substance 

of use in 48.1 percent of admissions 

among those ages 50+. This was lower 

than the regional and national rates.

48.1%

54.6%

62.1%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

Louisiana Region 6 U.S.

Exhibit 9. Alcohol Use Treatment Admissions of Adults 

Ages 50+ in Louisiana, Region 6, and the United States, 

2012

Proportion of Treatment Admissions 50+ With Primary Alcohol Use Disorder

Source: TEDS, 2012

Data include only those clients reported to SAMHSA.

SUD Treatment Admissions for Non-Alcohol Substance Use

Substances other than alcohol were 

cited as the primary substances of 

use for 51.9 percent of older adult 

admissions to publicly funded 

treatment in Louisiana.

51.9%

45.4%

37.9%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Louisiana Region 6 U.S.

Exhibit 10. Non-Alcohol Substance Use Treatment 

Admissions of Adults Ages 50+ in Louisiana, Region 6, 

and the United States, 2012

Proportion of Treatment Admissions 50+ With Other Primary Substance Use Disorder

Source: TEDS, 2012

Data include only those clients reported to SAMHSA.
6

Louisiana Louisiana Profile 2016

Drug-Related Emergency Department Visits Involving Pharmaceutical Misuse 

and Abuse by Older Adults

SAMHSA periodically releases reports from the Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN). DAWN, discontinued 

in 2011, consisted of a nationwide network of hospital emergency departments (EDs) primarily located in 

large metropolitan areas. DAWN data consist of professional reviews of ED records to determine the extent 

to which alcohol and other substance abuse was involved in ED visits. According to the November 25, 2010, 

DAWN Report:

• In 2004, there were an estimated 115,803 ED visits involving pharmaceutical misuse and abuse by adults 

aged 50 or older; in 2008, there were 256,097 such visits, representing an increase of 121.1 percent 

• One fifth (19.7 percent) of ED visits involving pharmaceutical misuse and abuse among older adults were 

made by persons aged 70 or older 

• Among ED visits made by older adults, pain relievers were the type of pharmaceutical most commonly 

involved (43.5 percent), followed by drugs used to treat anxiety or insomnia (31.8 percent) and 

antidepressants (8.6 percent) 

• Among patients aged 50 or older who visited the ED for pharmaceutical misuse or abuse, more than half 

(52.3 percent) were treated and released, and more than one third (37.5 percent) were admitted to the 

hospital 

Bulleted text in italics above is taken from SAMHSA’s Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality. (2010, November 25). The DAWN Report: Drugrelated emergency department visits involving pharmaceutical misuse and abuse by older adults. Rockville, MD: SAMHSA.

CO-OCCURRING SUBSTANCE USE AND MENTAL DISORDERS

Older Louisianians in SUD Treatment With Co-Occurring Mental Disorders

The national literature shows a strong 

relationship between substance use 

and mental disorders. Studies show 

that 30–80 percent of individuals with a 

substance use or mental disorder also 

have a co-occurring disorder.

Exhibit 11 shows the proportion 

of SUD treatment admissions of 

Louisianians ages 50+ with a cooccurring mental disorder. This rate 

is lower than the regional rate and 

the national average. However, state 

reporting practices are a factor in 

these results.

31.8%

40.2%

33.7%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

Louisiana Region 6 U.S.

Exhibit 11. SUD Treatment Admissions of Adults Ages 50+ 

With a Co-Occurring Mental Disorder in Louisiana, Region 6, 

and the United States, 2012

Proportion of Treatment Admissions 50+ With Co-Occurring Disorders

Source: TEDS, 2012

Data include only those clients reported to SAMHSA.
Alabama ALABAMA Profile 2015 Louisiana Louisiana Profile 2016

7

MENTAL HEALTH

Older Louisianians Reporting Frequent Mental Distress

BRFSS, a household survey conducted 

in all 50 states and several territories, 

asks the following question: “Now 

thinking about your mental health, 

which includes stress, depression, 

and problems with emotions, for how 

many days during the past 30 days 

was your mental health not good?” 

Those individuals reporting 14 or more 

“Yes” days in response to this question 

experience frequent mental distress 

(FMD). Exhibit 12 shows that older 

Louisianians experience FMD at a rate 

that is higher than the regional and 

national rates.

15.1%

14.6%

7.6%

12.3% 12.4%

6.8%

12.3%

13.0%

7.2%

0%

2%

4%

6%

8%

10%

12%

14%

16%

18 to 49 50 to 64 65+

Louisiana Region 6 U.S.

Exhibit 12. Individuals Reporting Frequent Mental Distress 

in Louisiana, Region 6, and the United States, 2013

Proportion Reporting Frequent Mental Distress

Source: BRFSS, 2013

Older Louisianians Reporting Frequent Mental Distress by Age Group and Sex

Older men in Louisiana were more likely 

to indulge in binge drinking, but older 

women were more likely to report that 

they had FMD (14 days or more per 

30-day period). As Exhibit 13 shows, 

16.5 percent of women in the 50–64 age 

group and 8.6 percent in the 65+ age 

group reported FMD, while 12.5 percent 

of men in the 50–64 age group and 

6.1 percent in the 65+ age group 

reported FMD.

11.2%

19.0%

12.5%

16.5%

6.1%

8.6%

0%

2%

4%

6%

8%

10%

12%

14%

16%

18%

20%

Male Female

18 to 49 50 to 64 65+

Exhibit 13. Louisianians Reporting Frequent Mental 

Distress by Age Group and Sex, 2013

Proportion Reporting Frequent Mental Distress

Source: BRFSS, 2013
8

Louisiana Louisiana Profile 2016

Other Measures of Mental Health

BRFSS collected other measures showing risk factors for mental and/or physical illness. These included:

• Social and Emotional Support (2010). BRFSS asked, “How often do you get the social and emotional 

support you need?” The possible responses were always, usually, sometimes, rarely, or never. 

• Life Satisfaction (2010). BRFSS asked, “In general, how satisfied are you with your life?” The possible 

responses were very satisfied, satisfied, dissatisfied, or very dissatisfied.

Exhibit 14 presents the results of these surveys among older Louisianians.

Exhibit 14. BRFSS Measures, 2010

Indicator Ages 50+ Ages 50–64 Ages 65+

Rarely or never get social 

or emotional support 10.4% 9.3% 11.9%

Dissatisfied or very 

dissatisfied 5.0% 6.0% 3.5%

Source: BRFSS, 2010

Individuals With Frequent Mental Distress Report High Rates of Poor Physical 

Health

Older Americans who experienced FMD 

were more likely to report that their 

physical health was poor (14 days or 

more in the past 30-day period when 

physical health was “not good”). As 

shown in Exhibit 15, although nearly 

11 percent of older Americans with no 

mental distress reported poor physical 

health, more than 50 percent of those 

with FMD reported poor physical health.

10.8%

18.1%

52.4%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

No mental distress Some mental distress Frequent mental distress

Exhibit 15. Individuals Ages 50+ in the United States 

Reporting Poor Physical Health by Level of Mental 

Distress, 2013

Proportion Reporting Poor Physical Health

Source: BRFSS, 2013
Alabama ALABAMA Profile 2015 Louisiana Louisiana Profile 2016

9

Relationship Among Mental Distress, Diabetes, Stroke, Heart Attack, 

High Blood Pressure, and Coronary Disease

Older Americans who experience FMD 

are more likely to report that they have 

health problems. People with FMD 

were more than twice as likely to report 

having a stroke than those with some 

or no mental distress. They experienced 

coronary disease and heart attack at 

more than 1.6 times, diabetes at more 

than 1.4 times, and high blood pressure 

at nearly 1.2 times the rate of those with 

some or no mental distress.

10.1%

13.3% 13.2%

25.9%

60.6%

4.7%

7.6% 7.8%

17.7%

51.1%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

Stroke Coronary disease Heart attack Diabetes High blood pressure

Frequent mental distress Some or no mental distress

Exhibit 16. Individuals Ages 50+ in the United States 

With Mental Distress and Serious Health Problems, 2013

Proportion Reporting Health Problems by Mental Health Category

Source: BRFSS, 2013

Older Louisianians Admitted to State Mental Health Services

Approximately 2.7 percent of the people served by the Louisiana mental health system were ages 65 and 

older. This represents more than 1,320 adults.

Source: Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) Uniform Reporting System (URS) Output Tables, 2014
10 Louisiana Louisiana Profile 2016

DATA SOURCES

BEHAVIORAL RISK FACTOR SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM (www.cdc.gov/brfss). BRFSS, managed by CDC, 

is the largest ongoing telephone health survey system in the world, tracking health conditions and risk 

behaviors in the United States annually since 1984. Data are collected on a monthly basis in all 50 states, 

the District of Columbia, and participating territories. BRFSS data are collected by local jurisdictions and 

reported to CDC.

CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION, NATIONAL CENTER FOR HEALTH 

STATISTICS, UNDERLYING CAUSE OF DEATH 1999-2013 ON CDC WONDER ONLINE DATABASE, 

RELEASED 2015 (http://wonder.cdc.gov/ucd-icd10.html). The WONDER online database “contains 

mortality and population counts for all U.S. counties. Data are based on death certificates for U.S. 

residents. Each death certificate identifies a single underlying cause of death and demographic data. 

The number of deaths, crude death rates or age-adjusted death rates, and 95% confidence intervals 

and standard errors for death rates can be obtained by place of residence (total U.S., region, state and 

county), age group (single-year-of age, 5-year age groups, 10-year age groups and infant age groups), 

race, Hispanic ethnicity, gender, year, cause-of-death (4-digit ICD-10 code or group of codes), injury 

intent and injury mechanism, drug/alcohol induced causes and urbanization categories. Data are also 

available for place of death, month and week day of death, and whether an autopsy was performed.”

CENTER FOR MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES UNIFORM REPORTING SYSTEM (www.samhsa.gov/data

/us_map). States that receive CMHS Block Grants are required to report aggregate data to URS. URS 

reports include information about utilization of mental health services and client demographic and 

outcome information.

NATIONAL SURVEY ON DRUG USE AND HEALTH (https://nsduhweb.rti.org). The NSDUH, managed 

by SAMHSA, is “an annual nationwide survey involving interviews with approximately 70,000 randomly 

selected individuals aged 12 and older.” NSDUH data are most frequently used by state planners 

to assess the need for SUD treatment. NSDUH data also include information about mental health 

conditions.

TREATMENT EPISODE DATA SET (www.samhsa.gov/data/client-level-data-teds/reports?tab=19). States 

that receive Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant funds submit individual client data 

to TEDS. TEDS includes both admission and discharge data sets, and some 1.5 million admissions are 

reported annually. TEDS includes information about utilization of SUD treatment services and client 

demographic and outcome information. TEDS is an admission-based system, and TEDS admissions do 

not represent individuals. Thus, an individual admitted to treatment twice within a calendar year would 

be counted as two admissions.

U.S. CENSUS BUREAU (www.census.gov/people). Two main sources of Census Bureau data were used 

in this report: (1) population estimates and (2) population projections.
OLDER ADULTS BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PROFILE

New Mexico
OLDER ADULTS BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PROFILE

NEW MEXICO’S POPULATION

New Mexico Population by Age Group

New Mexico is home to 2,085,572 people. 

Of these:

• 730,227 (35.0 percent) are over age 50.

• 447,604 (21.5 percent) are over age 60.

• 209,966 (10.1 percent) are over age 70.

• 75,957 (3.6 percent) are ages 80 and

older.

The proportion of women rises fairly 

steadily in each age group, and women 

make up 59.3 percent of the 80+ group. 

The racial/ethnic composition of older 

New Mexicans is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity of New Mexicans 

Ages 50+

White AI/AN Black Asian NH/PI Other Hispanic

88.3% 7.2% 1.8% 1.4% 0.1% 1.2% 35.7%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2015

AI/AN stands for American Indian and Alaska Native. 

NH/PI stands for Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander.

142 142 153

133 120

137

113

62

31

137 136

141

128

123

146

124

72

45

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

0 to 9 10 to 19 20 to 29 30 to 39 40 to 49 50 to 59 60 to 69 70 to 79 80+

Male Female

Population in 1,000s

Exhibit 1. New Mexico Population by Age Group, 

2014

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2015

The Number of Older New Mexicans Is Growing

The proportion of New Mexico’s 

population that is 65 and older is 

growing while the proportion that 

is younger than 65 is shrinking. The 

U.S. Census Bureau estimates that 

26.4 percent of New Mexico’s 

population will be 65 and older by the 

year 2030, an increase of 61.6 percent 

from 2015.

Projected Population in New Mexico

Age Group 2015 2025 2030

Under 18 23.7% 22.7% 21.7%

18 to 44 32.0% 29.7% 28.6%

45 to 64 27.4% 23.9% 23.3%

65+ 16.8% 23.6% 26.4%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2005

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030

Under 18 18 to 44 45 to 64 65+

Exhibit 2. New Mexico Population by Age Group, 

2000–2030

Population in 1,000s

August 2016

New Mexico
2

New Mexico New Mexico Profile 2016

SUICIDE AMONG OLDER NEW MEXICANS

New Mexico Suicide Rate Compared With Regional and National Rates

The suicide rate among New Mexicans 

ages 50 and older is higher than the rate 

among younger age groups. In 2013, the 

total suicide rate among all people ages 

50+ was 27.5 per 100,000 people (14.4 

for women and 42.3 for men). The rate 

among those ages 50–64 was higher than 

both the rate in the region (including 

Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and 

Texas) and the rate in the United States.

States vary in their reporting of suicides. 

The suicide rate is influenced by these 

reporting practices.

20.7

17.0

29.6

24.8

13.1

10.8

19.3

17.5

13.0

10.6

19.0

16.1

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

All Under 50 50 to 64 65+

Suicide Rate per 100,000 Population 

New Mexico Region 6 U.S.

Exhibit 3. Suicide Rates in New Mexico, Region 6, and the 

United States, 2013

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Center 

for Health Statistics (NCHS), Underlying Cause of Death 1999-2013 on CDC 

WONDER Online Database, released 2015

Trends in Suicide Rates in New Mexico

The suicide rate among New 

Mexicans ages 50+ fluctuated from 

a low of 20.3 per 100,000 in 2006 to 

a high of 27.5 per 100,000 in 2013. 

From 2004 to 2013, the rate was 

generally highest among those in 

the 50–64 age group.

How a state reports suicides can 

vary from year to year. The number 

of suicides is generally low, so even a 

small difference in reported numbers 

may make the rate fluctuate widely.

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

All ages Under 50 50+ 50 to 64 65+

Exhibit 4. Trends in Suicide Rates in New Mexico by Age 

Group, 2004–2013

Suicide Rate per 100,000 Population

Source: CDC, NCHS, Underlying Cause of Death 1999-2013 on CDC WONDER 

Online Database, released 2015
Alabama ALABAMA Profile 2015 New Mexico New Mexico Profile 2016

3

SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER AND SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER 

TREATMENT AMONG OLDER NEW MEXICANS

30-Day Binge Drinking Among Older New Mexicans

Binge drinking, defined as five or more 

drinks for men and four or more drinks for 

women on a single occasion, can lead to 

serious health problems. Such problems 

include neurological damage, cardiovascular 

disease, liver disease, stroke, and poor 

control of diabetes. Binge drinkers are 

more likely to take risks such as driving 

while intoxicated and to experience falls 

and other accidents. Older people have a 

lower tolerance for alcohol. Binge drinking 

decreases with age and occurs more 

frequently among men than it does among 

women. As Exhibit 5 shows, 15.2 percent 

of New Mexico men ages 50–64 reported 

binge drinking in the past 30 days, while 

5.9 percent of those in the 65+ group 

reported similar behavior. 

26.7%

15.2% 

5.9%

13.8%

6.3%

1.6% 0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

18 to 49 50 to 64 65+

Male Female

Exhibit 5. Binge Drinking Rates in New Mexico by Age 

Group and Sex, 2013

Proportion of Population Engaging in Binge Drinking

Source: Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), 2013

Illicit Drug Use Among Older Americans

Nationally, the rate of illicit drug use 

among older adults ages 50–64 more 

than doubled from 2002 to 2013. 

This development partially reflects 

the entrance into this age group of 

the baby boom cohort, whose rates 

of illicit drug use have been higher 

than those of older cohorts. Although 

state-specific data are not available, 

the New Mexico Behavioral Health 

Barometer is available for download 

from the Substance Abuse and 

Mental Health Services Administration 

(SAMHSA) website (www.samhsa.gov 

/data/population-data-nsduh 

/reports?tab=33). 0%

1%

2%

3%

4%

5%

6%

7%

8%

9%

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

50 to 54 55 to 59 60 to 64

Exhibit 6. Illicit Drug Use Among Older Americans, 

2002–2013

Proportion Using in Past Month

Source: National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 2013

Illicit drug use includes illegal drugs and prescription drugs used nonmedically. SAMHSA 

provides a list of drugs included in its survey in the NSDUH methodological summary.
4

New Mexico New Mexico Profile 2016

Admissions to Substance Use Disorder Treatment Among Older New Mexicans

In 2012, there were 948 admissions 

of New Mexicans ages 50 and older 

to substance use disorder (SUD) 

treatment in state-funded treatment 

programs, a rate of 129.8 per 100,000 

people ages 50+. This rate was higher 

than the regional rate and lower than 

the national average. Men made up 

70.1 percent of these admissions. Of all 

admissions, 78.6 percent were White/

Caucasian, 1.8 percent were Black/

African American, and 47.7 percent 

were Hispanic.

The principal sources of referral to 

treatment among those ages 50 and 

older were: 

Self-Referral Criminal Justice Other

34.3% 41.4% 24.3%

110.5 115.8

383.2

41.8 42.9

120.3

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

New Mexico Region 6 U.S.

Male Female

Exhibit 7. SUD Treatment Admissions of Adults Ages 50+ in 

New Mexico, Region 6, and the United States by Sex, 2012

SUD Admission Rate per 100,000 Population

Source: Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS), 20121

1

 TEDS data are collected by states as a condition of the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant. Guidelines suggest that states report all clients 

admitted to publicly financed treatment; however, states are inconsistent in applying the guidelines. States may structure and implement different quality controls 

over the data. For example, states may collect different categories of information to answer TEDS questions. Information is then “walked over” to TEDS definitions.

Data include only those clients reported to SAMHSA.

SUD Treatment Admissions Among New Mexicans Ages 50+ by Insurance Type 

In New Mexico, 71.3 percent of older 

adult admissions to SUD treatment were 

uninsured, 1.9 percent had Medicaid, 

21.8 percent had Medicare, and 5.0 

percent had private insurance.

SUD Treatment Admissions Among 

New Mexicans Ages 50+ by Primary 

Sources of Payment

Self-Pay Medicaid Other

15.5% 3.6% 80.8%

Self-pay data include private insurance.

Exhibit 8 and the accompanying text reflect the type of 

health insurance (if any) clients had at admission; the table 

above represents primary sources of payment.

5.0% 1.9%

21.8%

71.3%

3.4% 10.2%

6.4%

80.0%

14.9%

20.4%

10.8%

53.9%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

Private Medicaid Medicare None

New Mexico Region 6 U.S.

Exhibit 8. SUD Treatment Admissions of Adults Ages 50+ 

in New Mexico, Region 6, and the United States by 

Insurance Type, 2012

Proportion of SUD Treatment Admissions of Adults Ages 50+ by Insurance Type

Source: TEDS, 2012

Data include only those clients reported to SAMHSA.
Alabama ALABAMA Profile 2015 New Mexico New Mexico Profile 2016

5

Alcohol Use Disorder Treatment Admissions Among New Mexicans Ages 50+

Alcohol was the most frequently cited 

substance used by older New Mexicans 

in publicly financed SUD treatment in 

2012. It was mentioned as a substance 

of use in 74.1 percent of admissions 

among those ages 50+. This was 

higher than the regional and national 

rates.

74.1%

54.6%

62.1%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

New Mexico Region 6 U.S.

Exhibit 9. Alcohol Use Treatment Admissions of Adults 

Ages 50+ in New Mexico, Region 6, and the United States, 

2012

Proportion of Treatment Admissions 50+ With Primary Alcohol Use Disorder

Source: TEDS, 2012

Data include only those clients reported to SAMHSA.

SUD Treatment Admissions for Non-Alcohol Substance Use

Substances other than alcohol were 

cited as the primary substances of 

use for 25.9 percent of older adult 

admissions to publicly funded 

treatment in New Mexico.

25.9%

45.4%

37.9%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

50%

New Mexico Region 6 U.S.

Exhibit 10. Non-Alcohol Substance Use Treatment 

Admissions of Adults Ages 50+ in New Mexico, Region 6, 

and the United States, 2012

Proportion of Treatment Admissions 50+ With Other Primary Substance Use Disorder

Source: TEDS, 2012

Data include only those clients reported to SAMHSA.
6

New Mexico New Mexico Profile 2016

Drug-Related Emergency Department Visits Involving Pharmaceutical Misuse 

and Abuse by Older Adults

SAMHSA periodically releases reports from the Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN). DAWN, discontinued 

in 2011, consisted of a nationwide network of hospital emergency departments (EDs) primarily located in 

large metropolitan areas. DAWN data consist of professional reviews of ED records to determine the extent 

to which alcohol and other substance abuse was involved in ED visits. According to the November 25, 2010, 

DAWN Report:

• In 2004, there were an estimated 115,803 ED visits involving pharmaceutical misuse and abuse by adults 

aged 50 or older; in 2008, there were 256,097 such visits, representing an increase of 121.1 percent 

• One fifth (19.7 percent) of ED visits involving pharmaceutical misuse and abuse among older adults were 

made by persons aged 70 or older 

• Among ED visits made by older adults, pain relievers were the type of pharmaceutical most commonly 

involved (43.5 percent), followed by drugs used to treat anxiety or insomnia (31.8 percent) and 

antidepressants (8.6 percent) 

• Among patients aged 50 or older who visited the ED for pharmaceutical misuse or abuse, more than half 

(52.3 percent) were treated and released, and more than one third (37.5 percent) were admitted to the 

hospital 

Bulleted text in italics above is taken from SAMHSA’s Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality. (2010, November 25). The DAWN Report: Drugrelated emergency department visits involving pharmaceutical misuse and abuse by older adults. Rockville, MD: SAMHSA.

CO-OCCURRING SUBSTANCE USE AND MENTAL DISORDERS

Older New Mexicans in SUD Treatment With Co-Occurring Mental Disorders

The national literature shows a strong 

relationship between substance use 

and mental disorders. Studies show 

that 30–80 percent of individuals with a 

substance use or mental disorder also 

have a co-occurring disorder. 

Exhibit 11 shows the proportion 

of SUD treatment admissions of 

New Mexicans ages 50+ with a cooccurring mental disorder. This rate 

is lower than the regional rate and 

the national average. However, state 

reporting practices are a factor in 

these results.

20.4%

40.2%

33.7%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

New Mexico Region 6 U.S.

Exhibit 11. SUD Treatment Admissions of Adults Ages 

50+ With a Co-Occurring Mental Disorder in New Mexico, 

Region 6, and the United States, 2012

Proportion of Treatment Admissions 50+ With Co-Occurring Disorders

Source: TEDS, 2012

Data include only those clients reported to SAMHSA.
Alabama ALABAMA Profile 2015 New Mexico New Mexico Profile 2016

7

MENTAL HEALTH

Older New Mexicans Reporting Frequent Mental Distress

BRFSS, a household survey conducted 

in all 50 states and several territories, 

asks the following question: “Now 

thinking about your mental health, 

which includes stress, depression, 

and problems with emotions, for how 

many days during the past 30 days 

was your mental health not good?” 

Those individuals reporting 14 or more 

“Yes” days in response to this question 

experience frequent mental distress 

(FMD). Exhibit 12 shows that New 

Mexicans in the 50–64 age group 

experience FMD at a rate that is higher 

than the regional and national rates 

while those in the 65+ age group 

experience it at a rate that is lower than 

the regional and national rates.

12.9%

15.1%

6.6%

12.3% 12.4%

6.8%

12.3%

13.0%

7.2%

0%

2%

4%

6%

8%

10%

12%

14%

16%

18 to 49 50 to 64 65+

New Mexico Region 6 U.S.

Exhibit 12. Individuals Reporting Frequent Mental Distress 

in New Mexico, Region 6, and the United States, 2013

Proportion Reporting Frequent Mental Distress

Source: BRFSS, 2013

Older New Mexicans Reporting Frequent Mental Distress by Age Group 

and Sex

As Exhibit 13 shows, 13.7 percent of men 

in the 50–64 age group reported FMD 

(14 days or more per 30-day period) 

compared with 16.4 percent of women 

in this age group. In the 65+ age group, 

men reported a higher rate of FMD than 

did women (6.7 percent compared with 

6.5 percent), in contrast to the other 

states in the region, where women in 

this age group were more likely to report 

FMD. 

10.9%

15.0%

13.7%

16.4%

6.7% 6.5%

0%

2%

4%

6%

8%

10%

12%

14%

16%

18%

Male Female

18 to 49 50 to 64 65+

Exhibit 13. New Mexicans Reporting Frequent Mental 

Distress by Age Group and Sex, 2013

Proportion Reporting Frequent Mental Distress

Source: BRFSS, 2013
8

New Mexico New Mexico Profile 2016

Other Measures of Mental Health

BRFSS collected other measures showing risk factors for mental and/or physical illness. These included:

• Social and Emotional Support (2010). BRFSS asked, “How often do you get the social and emotional 

support you need?” The possible responses were always, usually, sometimes, rarely, or never. 

• Life Satisfaction (2010). BRFSS asked, “In general, how satisfied are you with your life?” The possible 

responses were very satisfied, satisfied, dissatisfied, or very dissatisfied.

Exhibit 14 presents the results of these surveys among older New Mexicans.

Exhibit 14. BRFSS Measures, 2010

Indicator Ages 50+ Ages 50–64 Ages 65+

Rarely or never get social 

or emotional support 9.7% 8.7% 11.1%

Dissatisfied or very 

dissatisfied 5.0% 6.0% 3.7%

Source: BRFSS, 2010

Individuals With Frequent Mental Distress Report High Rates of Poor Physical 

Health

Older Americans who experienced FMD 

were more likely to report that their 

physical health was poor (14 days or 

more in the past 30-day period when 

physical health was “not good”). As 

shown in Exhibit 15, although nearly 

11 percent of older Americans with no 

mental distress reported poor physical 

health, more than 50 percent of those 

with FMD reported poor physical health.

10.8%

18.1%

52.4%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

No mental distress Some mental distress Frequent mental distress

Exhibit 15. Individuals Ages 50+ in the United States 

Reporting Poor Physical Health by Level of Mental 

Distress, 2013

Proportion Reporting Poor Physical Health

Source: BRFSS, 2013
Alabama ALABAMA Profile 2015 New Mexico New Mexico Profile 2016

9

Relationship Among Mental Distress, Diabetes, Stroke, Heart Attack, 

High Blood Pressure, and Coronary Disease

Older Americans who experience FMD 

are more likely to report that they have 

health problems. People with FMD 

were more than twice as likely to report 

having a stroke than those with some 

or no mental distress. They experienced 

coronary disease and heart attack at 

more than 1.6 times, diabetes at more 

than 1.4 times, and high blood pressure 

at nearly 1.2 times the rate of those with 

some or no mental distress.

10.1%

13.3% 13.2%

25.9%

60.6%

4.7%

7.6% 7.8%

17.7%

51.1%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

Stroke Coronary disease Heart attack Diabetes High blood pressure

Frequent mental distress Some or no mental distress

Exhibit 16. Individuals Ages 50+ in the United States 

With Mental Distress and Serious Health Problems, 2013

Proportion Reporting Health Problems by Mental Health Category

Source: BRFSS, 2013

Older New Mexicans Admitted to State Mental Health Services

Approximately 3.2 percent of the people served by the New Mexico mental health system were ages 65 and 

older. This represents more than 2,940 adults.

Source: Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) Uniform Reporting System (URS) Output Tables, 2014
10 New Mexico New Mexico Profile 2016

DATA SOURCES

BEHAVIORAL RISK FACTOR SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM (www.cdc.gov/brfss). BRFSS, managed by CDC, 

is the largest ongoing telephone health survey system in the world, tracking health conditions and risk 

behaviors in the United States annually since 1984. Data are collected on a monthly basis in all 50 states, 

the District of Columbia, and participating territories. BRFSS data are collected by local jurisdictions and 

reported to CDC.

CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION, NATIONAL CENTER FOR HEALTH 

STATISTICS, UNDERLYING CAUSE OF DEATH 1999-2013 ON CDC WONDER ONLINE DATABASE, 

RELEASED 2015 (http://wonder.cdc.gov/ucd-icd10.html). The WONDER online database “contains 

mortality and population counts for all U.S. counties. Data are based on death certificates for U.S. 

residents. Each death certificate identifies a single underlying cause of death and demographic data. 

The number of deaths, crude death rates or age-adjusted death rates, and 95% confidence intervals 

and standard errors for death rates can be obtained by place of residence (total U.S., region, state and 

county), age group (single-year-of age, 5-year age groups, 10-year age groups and infant age groups), 

race, Hispanic ethnicity, gender, year, cause-of-death (4-digit ICD-10 code or group of codes), injury 

intent and injury mechanism, drug/alcohol induced causes and urbanization categories. Data are also 

available for place of death, month and week day of death, and whether an autopsy was performed.”

CENTER FOR MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES UNIFORM REPORTING SYSTEM (www.samhsa.gov/data

/us_map). States that receive CMHS Block Grants are required to report aggregate data to URS. URS 

reports include information about utilization of mental health services and client demographic and 

outcome information.

NATIONAL SURVEY ON DRUG USE AND HEALTH (https://nsduhweb.rti.org). The NSDUH, managed 

by SAMHSA, is “an annual nationwide survey involving interviews with approximately 70,000 randomly 

selected individuals aged 12 and older.” NSDUH data are most frequently used by state planners 

to assess the need for SUD treatment. NSDUH data also include information about mental health 

conditions.

TREATMENT EPISODE DATA SET (www.samhsa.gov/data/client-level-data-teds/reports?tab=19). States 

that receive Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant funds submit individual client data 

to TEDS. TEDS includes both admission and discharge data sets, and some 1.5 million admissions are 

reported annually. TEDS includes information about utilization of SUD treatment services and client 

demographic and outcome information. TEDS is an admission-based system, and TEDS admissions do 

not represent individuals. Thus, an individual admitted to treatment twice within a calendar year would 

be counted as two admissions.

U.S. CENSUS BUREAU (www.census.gov/people). Two main sources of Census Bureau data were used 

in this report: (1) population estimates and (2) population projections.
OLDER ADULTS BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PROFILE

Oklahoma
August 2016

OLDER ADULTS BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PROFILE

OKLAHOMA’S POPULATION

Oklahoma Population by Age Group

Oklahoma is home to 3,878,051 people. 

Of these:

• 1,300,187 (33.5 percent) are over age 50.

• 783,474 (20.2 percent) are over age 60.

• 378,264 (9.8 percent) are over age 70.

• 139,263 (3.6 percent) are ages 80 and 

older.

The proportion of women rises fairly 

steadily in each age group, and women 

make up 61.7 percent of the 80+ group. 

The racial/ethnic composition of older 

Oklahomans is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity of Oklahomans 

Ages 50+

White AI/AN Black Asian NH/PI Other Hispanic

83.0% 6.5% 5.9% 1.4% 0.1% 3.1% 3.7%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2015

AI/AN stands for American Indian and Alaska Native. 

NH/PI stands for Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander.

273 267 284

255

232 253

194

109

53

262 253

271

250

231

263

212

130

86

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

0 to 9 10 to 19 20 to 29 30 to 39 40 to 49 50 to 59 60 to 69 70 to 79 80+

Male Female

Population in 1,000s

Exhibit 1. Oklahoma Population by Age Group, 2014

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2015

The Number of Older Oklahomans Is Growing

The proportion of Oklahoma’s 

population that is 65 and older is 

growing while the proportion that 

is younger than 65 is shrinking. The 

U.S. Census Bureau estimates that 

19.4 percent of Oklahoma’s population 

will be 65 and older by the year 2030, 

an increase of 36.8 percent from 2015.

Projected Population in Oklahoma

Age Group 2015 2025 2030

Under 18 25.0% 24.9% 25.0%

18 to 44 34.4% 33.7% 33.4%

45 to 64 25.5% 23.0% 22.2%

65+ 15.1% 18.4% 19.4%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2005

0

200

400

600

800

1,000

1,200

1,400

2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030

Under 18 18 to 44 45 to 64 65+

Exhibit 2. Oklahoma Population by Age Group, 2000–2030

Population in 1,000s

Oklahoma
2

Oklahoma Oklahoma Profile 2016

SUICIDE AMONG OLDER OKLAHOMANS

Oklahoma Suicide Rate Compared With Regional and National Rates

The suicide rate among Oklahomans 

ages 50 and older is higher than the rate 

among younger age groups. In 2013, the 

total suicide rate among all people ages 

50+ was 21.4 per 100,000 people (8.5 

for women and 36.0 for men). The rate 

among those ages 50–64 was higher than 

both the rate in the region (including 

Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, and 

Texas) and the rate in the United States.

States vary in their reporting of suicides. 

The suicide rate is influenced by these 

reporting practices.

17.3

15.2

22.1

20.4

13.1

10.8

19.3

17.5

13.0

10.6

19.0

16.1

0

5

10

15

20

25

All Under 50 50 to 64 65+

Suicide Rate per 100,000 Population 

Oklahoma Region 6 U.S.

Exhibit 3. Suicide Rates in Oklahoma, Region 6, and the 

United States, 2013

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Center 

for Health Statistics (NCHS), Underlying Cause of Death 1999-2013 on CDC 

WONDER Online Database, released 2015

Trends in Suicide Rates in Oklahoma

The suicide rate among Oklahomans 

ages 50+ fluctuated from a low of 

17.1 per 100,000 in 2005 to a high 

of 22.0 per 100,000 in 2011. From 

2004 to 2013, the rate was generally 

highest among those in the 50–64 

age group.

How a state reports suicides can 

vary from year to year. The number 

of suicides is generally low, so even a 

small difference in reported numbers 

may make the rate fluctuate widely.

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

All ages Under 50 50+ 50 to 64 65+

Exhibit 4. Trends in Suicide Rates in Oklahoma by Age 

Group, 2004–2013

Suicide Rate per 100,000 Population

Source: CDC, NCHS, Underlying Cause of Death 1999-2013 on CDC WONDER 

Online Database, released 2015
Alabama ALABAMA Profile 2015 Oklahoma Oklahoma Profile 2016

3

SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER AND SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER 

TREATMENT AMONG OLDER OKLAHOMANS

30-Day Binge Drinking Among Older Oklahomans

Binge drinking, defined as five or more 

drinks for men and four or more drinks for 

women on a single occasion, can lead to 

serious health problems. Such problems 

include neurological damage, cardiovascular 

disease, liver disease, stroke, and poor 

control of diabetes. Binge drinkers are 

more likely to take risks such as driving 

while intoxicated and to experience falls 

and other accidents. Older people have a 

lower tolerance for alcohol. Binge drinking 

decreases with age and occurs more 

frequently among men than it does among 

women. As Exhibit 5 shows, 11.5 percent 

of Oklahoma men ages 50–64 reported 

binge drinking in the past 30 days, while 

3.2 percent of those in the 65+ group 

reported similar behavior. 

25.1%

11.5% 

3.2%

11.1%

7.0%

1.0%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

18 to 49 50 to 64 65+

Male Female

Exhibit 5. Binge Drinking Rates in Oklahoma by Age 

Group and Sex, 2013

Proportion of Population Engaging in Binge Drinking

Source: Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), 2013

Illicit Drug Use Among Older Americans

Nationally, the rate of illicit drug use 

among older adults ages 50–64 more 

than doubled from 2002 to 2013. 

This development partially reflects 

the entrance into this age group of 

the baby boom cohort, whose rates 

of illicit drug use have been higher 

than those of older cohorts. Although 

state-specific data are not available, 

the Oklahoma Behavioral Health 

Barometer is available for download 

from the Substance Abuse and 

Mental Health Services Administration 

(SAMHSA) website (www.samhsa.gov 

/data/population-data-nsduh 

/reports?tab=33). 0%

1%

2%

3%

4%

5%

6%

7%

8%

9%

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

50 to 54 55 to 59 60 to 64

Exhibit 6. Illicit Drug Use Among Older Americans, 

2002–2013

Proportion Using in Past Month

Source: National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 2013

Illicit drug use includes illegal drugs and prescription drugs used nonmedically. SAMHSA 

provides a list of drugs included in its survey in the NSDUH methodological summary.
4

Oklahoma Oklahoma Profile 2016

Admissions to Substance Use Disorder Treatment Among Older Oklahomans

In 2012, there were 1,377 admissions 

of Oklahomans ages 50 and older 

to substance use disorder (SUD) 

treatment in state-funded treatment 

programs, a rate of 105.9 per 100,000 

people ages 50+. This rate was higher 

than the regional rate and lower than 

the national average. Men made up 

65.5 percent of these admissions. Of all 

admissions, 70.6 percent were White/

Caucasian, 16.8 percent were Black/

African American, and 2.3 percent 

were Hispanic.

The principal sources of referral to 

treatment among those ages 50 and 

older were: 

Self-Referral Criminal Justice Other

48.1% 38.3% 13.6%

148.1

115.8

383.2

68.7

42.9

120.3

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

Oklahoma Region 6 U.S.

Male Female

Exhibit 7. SUD Treatment Admissions of Adults Ages 50+ 

in Oklahoma, Region 6, and the United States by Sex, 2012

SUD Admission Rate per 100,000 Population

Source: Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS), 20121

1

 TEDS data are collected by states as a condition of the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant. Guidelines suggest that states report all clients 

admitted to publicly financed treatment; however, states are inconsistent in applying the guidelines. States may structure and implement different quality controls 

over the data. For example, states may collect different categories of information to answer TEDS questions. Information is then “walked over” to TEDS definitions.

Data include only those clients reported to SAMHSA.

SUD Treatment Admissions Among Oklahomans Ages 50+ by Insurance Type 

In Oklahoma, there were no reported 

admissions for older adults who were 

uninsured or who had private insurance, 

73.4 percent had Medicaid, and 

26.6 percent had Medicare.

SUD Treatment Admissions Among 

Oklahomans Ages 50+ by Primary 

Sources of Payment

Self-Pay Medicaid Other

Data not 

available

Data not 

available

Data not 

available

Exhibit 8 and the accompanying text reflect the type of 

health insurance (if any) clients had at admission; the table 

above represents primary sources of payment.

73.4%

26.6%

3.4% 10.2%

6.4%

80.0%

14.9%

20.4%

10.8%

53.9%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

Private Medicaid Medicare None

Oklahoma Region 6 U.S.

0.0% 0.0%

Exhibit 8. SUD Treatment Admissions of Adults Ages 50+ 

in Oklahoma, Region 6, and the United States by 

Insurance Type, 2012

Proportion of SUD Treatment Admissions of Adults Ages 50+ by Insurance Type

Source: TEDS, 2012

Data include only those clients reported to SAMHSA.
Alabama ALABAMA Profile 2015 Oklahoma Oklahoma Profile 2016

5

Alcohol Use Disorder Treatment Admissions Among Oklahomans Ages 50+

Alcohol was the most frequently cited 

substance used by older Oklahomans 

in publicly financed SUD treatment in 

2012. It was mentioned as a substance 

of use in 57.2 percent of admissions 

among those ages 50+. This was 

higher than the regional rate and lower 

than the national rate. 57.2% 54.6%

62.1%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

Oklahoma Region 6 U.S.

Exhibit 9. Alcohol Use Treatment Admissions of Adults 

Ages 50+ in Oklahoma, Region 6, and the United States, 

2012

Proportion of Treatment Admissions 50+ With Primary Alcohol Use Disorder

Source: TEDS, 2012

Data include only those clients reported to SAMHSA.

SUD Treatment Admissions for Non-Alcohol Substance Use

Substances other than alcohol were 

cited as the primary substances of 

use for 42.8 percent of older adult 

admissions to publicly funded 

treatment in Oklahoma.

42.8%

45.4%

37.9%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

50%

Oklahoma Region 6 U.S.

Exhibit 10. Non-Alcohol Substance Use Treatment 

Admissions of Adults Ages 50+ in Oklahoma, Region 6, 

and the United States, 2012

Proportion of Treatment Admissions 50+ With Other Primary Substance Use Disorder

Source: TEDS, 2012

Data include only those clients reported to SAMHSA.
6

Oklahoma Oklahoma Profile 2016

Drug-Related Emergency Department Visits Involving Pharmaceutical Misuse 

and Abuse by Older Adults

SAMHSA periodically releases reports from the Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN). DAWN, discontinued 

in 2011, consisted of a nationwide network of hospital emergency departments (EDs) primarily located in 

large metropolitan areas. DAWN data consist of professional reviews of ED records to determine the extent 

to which alcohol and other substance abuse was involved in ED visits. According to the November 25, 2010, 

DAWN Report:

• In 2004, there were an estimated 115,803 ED visits involving pharmaceutical misuse and abuse by adults 

aged 50 or older; in 2008, there were 256,097 such visits, representing an increase of 121.1 percent 

• One fifth (19.7 percent) of ED visits involving pharmaceutical misuse and abuse among older adults were 

made by persons aged 70 or older 

• Among ED visits made by older adults, pain relievers were the type of pharmaceutical most commonly 

involved (43.5 percent), followed by drugs used to treat anxiety or insomnia (31.8 percent) and 

antidepressants (8.6 percent) 

• Among patients aged 50 or older who visited the ED for pharmaceutical misuse or abuse, more than half 

(52.3 percent) were treated and released, and more than one third (37.5 percent) were admitted to the 

hospital 

Bulleted text in italics above is taken from SAMHSA’s Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality. (2010, November 25). The DAWN Report: Drugrelated emergency department visits involving pharmaceutical misuse and abuse by older adults. Rockville, MD: SAMHSA.

CO-OCCURRING SUBSTANCE USE AND MENTAL DISORDERS

Older Oklahomans in SUD Treatment With Co-Occurring Mental Disorders

The national literature shows a strong 

relationship between substance use 

and mental disorders. Studies show 

that 30–80 percent of individuals with a 

substance use or mental disorder also 

have a co-occurring disorder. 

Exhibit 11 shows the proportion 

of SUD treatment admissions of 

Oklahomans ages 50+ with a cooccurring mental disorder. This rate 

is higher than the regional rate and 

the national average. However, state 

reporting practices are a factor in 

these results.

76.7%

40.2%

33.7%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

Oklahoma Region 6 U.S.

Exhibit 11. SUD Treatment Admissions of Adults Ages 50+ 

With a Co-Occurring Mental Disorder in Oklahoma, Region 

6, and the United States, 2012

Proportion of Treatment Admissions 50+ With Co-Occurring Disorders

Source: TEDS, 2012

Data include only those clients reported to SAMHSA.
Alabama ALABAMA Profile 2015 Oklahoma Oklahoma Profile 2016

7

MENTAL HEALTH

Older Oklahomans Reporting Frequent Mental Distress

BRFSS, a household survey conducted 

in all 50 states and several territories, 

asks the following question: “Now 

thinking about your mental health, 

which includes stress, depression, 

and problems with emotions, for how 

many days during the past 30 days 

was your mental health not good?” 

Those individuals reporting 14 or more 

“Yes” days in response to this question 

experience frequent mental distress 

(FMD). Exhibit 12 shows that older 

Oklahomans experience FMD at a rate 

that is higher than the regional and 

national rates.

15.2%

16.4%

8.7%

12.3% 12.4%

6.8%

12.3%

13.0%

7.2%

0%

2%

4%

6%

8%

10%

12%

14%

16%

18%

18 to 49 50 to 64 65+

Oklahoma Region 6 U.S.

Exhibit 12. Individuals Reporting Frequent Mental Distress 

in Oklahoma, Region 6, and the United States, 2013

Proportion Reporting Frequent Mental Distress

Source: BRFSS, 2013

Older Oklahomans Reporting Frequent Mental Distress by Age Group 

and Sex

Older men in Oklahoma were more 

likely to indulge in binge drinking, but 

older women were more likely to report 

that they had FMD (14 days or more 

per 30-day period). As Exhibit 13 shows, 

18.2 percent of women in the 50–64 age 

group and 10.1 percent in the 65+ age 

group reported FMD, while 14.4 percent 

of men in the 50–64 age group and 

7.0 percent in the 65+ age group 

reported FMD.

12.5%

18.0%

14.4%

18.2%

7.0%

10.1%

0%

2%

4%

6%

8%

10%

12%

14%

16%

18%

20%

Male Female

18 to 49 50 to 64 65+

Exhibit 13. Oklahomans Reporting Frequent Mental 

Distress by Age Group and Sex, 2013

Proportion Reporting Frequent Mental Distress

Source: BRFSS, 2013
8

Oklahoma Oklahoma Profile 2016

Other Measures of Mental Health

BRFSS collected other measures showing risk factors for mental and/or physical illness. These included:

• Social and Emotional Support (2010). BRFSS asked, “How often do you get the social and emotional 

support you need?” The possible responses were always, usually, sometimes, rarely, or never. 

• Life Satisfaction (2010). BRFSS asked, “In general, how satisfied are you with your life?” The possible 

responses were very satisfied, satisfied, dissatisfied, or very dissatisfied.

Exhibit 14 presents the results of these surveys among older Oklahomans.

Exhibit 14. BRFSS Measures, 2010

Indicator Ages 50+ Ages 50–64 Ages 65+

Rarely or never get social 

or emotional support 9.0% 8.1% 10.4%

Dissatisfied or very 

dissatisfied 6.0% 7.7% 3.7%

Source: BRFSS, 2010

Individuals With Frequent Mental Distress Report High Rates of Poor Physical 

Health

Older Americans who experienced FMD 

were more likely to report that their 

physical health was poor (14 days or 

more in the past 30-day period when 

physical health was “not good”). As 

shown in Exhibit 15, although nearly 

11 percent of older Americans with no 

mental distress reported poor physical 

health, more than 50 percent of those 

with FMD reported poor physical health.

10.8%

18.1%

52.4%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

No mental distress Some mental distress Frequent mental distress

Exhibit 15. Individuals Ages 50+ in the United States 

Reporting Poor Physical Health by Level of Mental 

Distress, 2013

Proportion Reporting Poor Physical Health

Source: BRFSS, 2013
Alabama ALABAMA Profile 2015 Oklahoma Oklahoma Profile 2016

9

Relationship Among Mental Distress, Diabetes, Stroke, Heart Attack, 

High Blood Pressure, and Coronary Disease

Older Americans who experience FMD 

are more likely to report that they have 

health problems. People with FMD 

were more than twice as likely to report 

having a stroke than those with some 

or no mental distress. They experienced 

coronary disease and heart attack at 

more than 1.6 times, diabetes at more 

than 1.4 times, and high blood pressure 

at nearly 1.2 times the rate of those with 

some or no mental distress.

10.1%

13.3% 13.2%

25.9%

60.6%

4.7%

7.6% 7.8%

17.7%

51.1%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

Stroke Coronary disease Heart attack Diabetes High blood pressure

Frequent mental distress Some or no mental distress

Exhibit 16. Individuals Ages 50+ in the United States 

With Mental Distress and Serious Health Problems, 2013

Proportion Reporting Health Problems by Mental Health Category

Source: BRFSS, 2013

Older Oklahomans Admitted to State Mental Health Services

Approximately 1.9 percent of the people served by the Oklahoma mental health system were ages 65 and 

older. This represents more than 1,490 adults.

Source: Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) Uniform Reporting System (URS) Output Tables, 2014
10 Oklahoma Oklahoma Profile 2016

DATA SOURCES

BEHAVIORAL RISK FACTOR SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM (www.cdc.gov/brfss). BRFSS, managed by CDC, 

is the largest ongoing telephone health survey system in the world, tracking health conditions and risk 

behaviors in the United States annually since 1984. Data are collected on a monthly basis in all 50 states, 

the District of Columbia, and participating territories. BRFSS data are collected by local jurisdictions and 

reported to CDC.

CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION, NATIONAL CENTER FOR HEALTH 

STATISTICS, UNDERLYING CAUSE OF DEATH 1999-2013 ON CDC WONDER ONLINE DATABASE, 

RELEASED 2015 (http://wonder.cdc.gov/ucd-icd10.html). The WONDER online database “contains 

mortality and population counts for all U.S. counties. Data are based on death certificates for U.S. 

residents. Each death certificate identifies a single underlying cause of death and demographic data. 

The number of deaths, crude death rates or age-adjusted death rates, and 95% confidence intervals 

and standard errors for death rates can be obtained by place of residence (total U.S., region, state and 

county), age group (single-year-of age, 5-year age groups, 10-year age groups and infant age groups), 

race, Hispanic ethnicity, gender, year, cause-of-death (4-digit ICD-10 code or group of codes), injury 

intent and injury mechanism, drug/alcohol induced causes and urbanization categories. Data are also 

available for place of death, month and week day of death, and whether an autopsy was performed.”

CENTER FOR MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES UNIFORM REPORTING SYSTEM (www.samhsa.gov/data

/us_map). States that receive CMHS Block Grants are required to report aggregate data to URS. URS 

reports include information about utilization of mental health services and client demographic and 

outcome information.

NATIONAL SURVEY ON DRUG USE AND HEALTH (https://nsduhweb.rti.org). The NSDUH, managed 

by SAMHSA, is “an annual nationwide survey involving interviews with approximately 70,000 randomly 

selected individuals aged 12 and older.” NSDUH data are most frequently used by state planners 

to assess the need for SUD treatment. NSDUH data also include information about mental health 

conditions.

TREATMENT EPISODE DATA SET (www.samhsa.gov/data/client-level-data-teds/reports?tab=19). States 

that receive Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant funds submit individual client data 

to TEDS. TEDS includes both admission and discharge data sets, and some 1.5 million admissions are 

reported annually. TEDS includes information about utilization of SUD treatment services and client 

demographic and outcome information. TEDS is an admission-based system, and TEDS admissions do 

not represent individuals. Thus, an individual admitted to treatment twice within a calendar year would 

be counted as two admissions.

U.S. CENSUS BUREAU (www.census.gov/people). Two main sources of Census Bureau data were used 

in this report: (1) population estimates and (2) population projections.
OLDER ADULTS BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PROFILE

Texas
OLDER ADULTS BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PROFILE

TEXAS’ POPULATION

Texas Population by Age Group

Texas is home to 26,956,958 people. Of 

these:

• 7,826,161 (29.0 percent) are over age 50.

• 4,442,101 (16.5 percent) are over age 60.

• 2,023,234 (7.5 percent) are over age 70.

• 735,408 (2.7 percent) are ages 80 and 

older.

The proportion of women rises fairly 

steadily in each age group, and women 

make up 61.9 percent of the 80+ group. 

The racial/ethnic composition of older 

Texans is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity of Texans 

Ages 50+

White AI/AN Black Asian NH/PI Other Hispanic

83.7% 0.8% 10.8% 3.8% 0.1% 0.9% 25.6%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2015

AI/AN stands for American Indian and Alaska Native. 

NH/PI stands for Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander.

2,024 1,991 2,036

1,892

1,757 1,664

1,153

585

280

1,943 1,904 1,933

1,876

1,775

1,720

1,266

703

455

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

3,500

4,000

4,500

0 to 9 10 to 19 20 to 29 30 to 39 40 to 49 50 to 59 60 to 69 70 to 79 80+

Male Female

Exhibit 1. Texas Population by Age Group, 2014

Population in 1,000s

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2015

The Number of Older Texans Is Growing

The proportion of Texas’ population 

that is 65 and older is growing while 

the proportion that is younger than 65 

is shrinking. The U.S. Census Bureau 

estimates that 15.6 percent of Texas’ 

population will be 65 and older by the 

year 2030, an increase of 66.6 percent 

from 2015.

Projected Population in Texas

Age Group 2015 2025 2030

Under 18 27.7% 27.4% 27.0%

18 to 44 37.0% 36.4% 36.3%

45 to 64 23.5% 21.6% 21.1%

65+ 11.7% 14.6% 15.6%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2005

0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

14,000

2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030

Under 18 18 to 44 45 to 64 65+

Exhibit 2. Texas Population by Age Group, 2000–2030

Population in 1,000s

August 2016

Texas
2

Texas Texas Profile 2016

SUICIDE AMONG OLDER TEXANS

Texas Suicide Rate Compared With Regional and National Rates

The suicide rate among Texans ages 

50 and older is higher than the rate 

among younger age groups. In 2013, 

the total suicide rate among all people 

ages 50+ was 17.0 per 100,000 people 

(6.5 for women and 28.9 for men). The 

rate among those ages 50–64 was 

lower than both the rate in the region 

(including Arkansas, Louisiana, New 

Mexico, and Oklahoma) and the rate 

in the United States.

States vary in their reporting of suicides. 

The suicide rate is influenced by these 

reporting practices.

11.6

9.4

17.7

16.0

13.1

10.8

19.3

17.5

13.0

10.6

19.0

16.1

0

5

10

15

20

25

All Under 50 50 to 64 65+

Suicide Rate per 100,000 Population 

Texas Region 6 U.S.

Exhibit 3. Suicide Rates in Texas, Region 6, and the 

United States, 2013

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Center 

for Health Statistics (NCHS), Underlying Cause of Death 1999-2013 on CDC 

WONDER Online Database, released 2015

Trends in Suicide Rates in Texas

The suicide rate among Texans ages 

50+ fluctuated from a low of 14.2 per 

100,000 in 2007 to a high of 17.2 per 

100,000 in 2012. From 2004 to 2013, 

the rate was generally highest among 

those in the 50–64 age group.

How a state reports suicides can 

vary from year to year. The number 

of suicides is generally low, so even a 

small difference in reported numbers 

may make the rate fluctuate widely.

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

All ages Under 50 50+ 50 to 64 65+

Exhibit 4. Trends in Suicide Rates in Texas by Age Group, 

2004–2013

Suicide Rate per 100,000 Population

Source: CDC, NCHS, Underlying Cause of Death 1999-2013 on CDC WONDER 

Online Database, released 2015
Alabama ALABAMA Profile 2015 Texas Texas Profile 2016

3

SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER AND SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER 

TREATMENT AMONG OLDER TEXANS

30-Day Binge Drinking Among Older Texans

Binge drinking, defined as five or more 

drinks for men and four or more drinks for 

women on a single occasion, can lead to 

serious health problems. Such problems 

include neurological damage, cardiovascular 

disease, liver disease, stroke, and poor 

control of diabetes. Binge drinkers are 

more likely to take risks such as driving 

while intoxicated and to experience 

falls and other accidents. Older people 

have a lower tolerance for alcohol. Binge 

drinking decreases with age and occurs 

more frequently among men than it does 

among women. As Exhibit 5 shows, 17.7 

percent of Texas men ages 50–64 reported 

binge drinking in the past 30 days, while 

8.0 percent of those in the 65+ group 

reported similar behavior. 

30.0%

17.7% 

8.0%

14.3%

6.5%

2.4% 0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

18 to 49 50 to 64 65+

Male Female

Exhibit 5. Binge Drinking Rates in Texas by Age Group 

and Sex, 2013

Proportion of Population Engaging in Binge Drinking

Source: Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), 2013

Illicit Drug Use Among Older Americans

Nationally, the rate of illicit drug use 

among older adults ages 50–64 more 

than doubled from 2002 to 2013. 

This development partially reflects 

the entrance into this age group of 

the baby boom cohort, whose rates 

of illicit drug use have been higher 

than those of older cohorts. Although 

state-specific data are not available, 

the Texas Behavioral Health Barometer

is available for download from the 

Substance Abuse and Mental Health 

Services Administration (SAMHSA) 

website (www.samhsa.gov/data 

/population-data-nsduh 

/reports?tab=33). 0%

1%

2%

3%

4%

5%

6%

7%

8%

9%

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

50 to 54 55 to 59 60 to 64

Exhibit 6. Illicit Drug Use Among Older Americans, 

2002–2013

Proportion Using in Past Month

Source: National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 2013

Illicit drug use includes illegal drugs and prescription drugs used nonmedically. SAMHSA 

provides a list of drugs included in its survey in the NSDUH methodological summary.
4

Texas Texas Profile 2016

Admissions to Substance Use Disorder Treatment Among Older Texans

In 2012, there were 4,538 admissions of 

Texans ages 50 and older to substance 

use disorder (SUD) treatment in statefunded treatment programs, a rate of 

58.0 per 100,000 people ages 50+. This 

rate was lower than the regional rate 

and the national average. Men made up 

71.1 percent of these admissions. Of all 

admissions, 68.4 percent were White/

Caucasian, 28.8 percent were Black/

African American, and 20.0 percent 

were Hispanic.

The principal sources of referral to 

treatment among those ages 50 and 

older were: 

Self-Referral Criminal Justice Other

45.9% 21.6% 32.6%

87.7

115.8

383.2

31.6 42.9

120.3

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

Texas Region 6 U.S.

Male Female

Exhibit 7. SUD Treatment Admissions of Adults Ages 50+ 

in Texas, Region 6, and the United States by Sex, 2012

SUD Admission Rate per 100,000 Population

Source: Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS), 20121

1

 TEDS data are collected by states as a condition of the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant. Guidelines suggest that states report all clients 

admitted to publicly financed treatment; however, states are inconsistent in applying the guidelines. States may structure and implement different quality controls 

over the data. For example, states may collect different categories of information to answer TEDS questions. Information is then “walked over” to TEDS definitions.

Data include only those clients reported to SAMHSA.

SUD Treatment Admissions Among Texans Ages 50+ by Insurance Type 

In Texas, 88.9 percent of older adult 

admissions to SUD treatment were 

uninsured, 8.3 percent had Medicaid, 

2.1 percent had Medicare, and 

0.6 percent had private insurance.

SUD Treatment Admissions Among 

Texans Ages 50+ by Primary Sources of 

Payment

Self-Pay Medicaid Other

0.0% 0.0% 100.0%

Exhibit 8 and the accompanying text reflect the type of 

health insurance (if any) clients had at admission; the table 

above represents primary sources of payment.

0.6% 8.3% 2.1%

88.9%

3.4% 10.2%

6.4%

80.0%

14.9%

20.4%

10.8%

53.9%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Private Medicaid Medicare None

Texas Region 6 U.S.

Exhibit 8. SUD Treatment Admissions of Adults Ages 50+ 

in Texas, Region 6, and the United States by Insurance 

Type, 2012

Proportion of SUD Treatment Admissions of Adults Ages 50+ by Insurance Type

Source: TEDS, 2012

Data include only those clients reported to SAMHSA.
Alabama ALABAMA Profile 2015 Texas Texas Profile 2016

5

Alcohol Use Disorder Treatment Admissions Among Texans Ages 50+

Alcohol was the most frequently cited 

substance used by older Texans in 

publicly financed SUD treatment in 

2012. It was mentioned as a substance 

of use in 51.6 percent of admissions 

among those ages 50+. This was lower 

than the regional and national rates.

51.6%

54.6%

62.1%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

Texas Region 6 U.S.

Exhibit 9. Alcohol Use Treatment Admissions of Adults 

Ages 50+ in Texas, Region 6, and the United States, 2012

Proportion of Treatment Admissions 50+ With Primary Alcohol Use Disorder

Source: TEDS, 2012

Data include only those clients reported to SAMHSA.

SUD Treatment Admissions for Non-Alcohol Substance Use

Substances other than alcohol were 

cited as the primary substances 

of use for 48.4 percent of older 

adult admissions to publicly funded 

treatment in Texas.

48.4%

45.4%

37.9%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Texas Region 6 U.S.

Exhibit 10. Non-Alcohol Substance Use Treatment 

Admissions of Adults Ages 50+ in Texas, Region 6, and 

the United States, 2012

Proportion of Treatment Admissions 50+ With Other Primary Substance Use Disorder

Source: TEDS, 2012

Data include only those clients reported to SAMHSA.
6

Texas Texas Profile 2016

Drug-Related Emergency Department Visits Involving Pharmaceutical Misuse 

and Abuse by Older Adults

SAMHSA periodically releases reports from the Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN). DAWN, discontinued 

in 2011, consisted of a nationwide network of hospital emergency departments (EDs) primarily located in 

large metropolitan areas. DAWN data consist of professional reviews of ED records to determine the extent 

to which alcohol and other substance abuse was involved in ED visits. According to the November 25, 2010, 

DAWN Report:

• In 2004, there were an estimated 115,803 ED visits involving pharmaceutical misuse and abuse by adults 

aged 50 or older; in 2008, there were 256,097 such visits, representing an increase of 121.1 percent 

• One fifth (19.7 percent) of ED visits involving pharmaceutical misuse and abuse among older adults were 

made by persons aged 70 or older 

• Among ED visits made by older adults, pain relievers were the type of pharmaceutical most commonly 

involved (43.5 percent), followed by drugs used to treat anxiety or insomnia (31.8 percent) and 

antidepressants (8.6 percent) 

• Among patients aged 50 or older who visited the ED for pharmaceutical misuse or abuse, more than half 

(52.3 percent) were treated and released, and more than one third (37.5 percent) were admitted to the 

hospital 

Bulleted text in italics above is taken from SAMHSA’s Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality. (2010, November 25). The DAWN Report: Drugrelated emergency department visits involving pharmaceutical misuse and abuse by older adults. Rockville, MD: SAMHSA.

CO-OCCURRING SUBSTANCE USE AND MENTAL DISORDERS

Older Texans in SUD Treatment With Co-Occurring Mental Disorders

The national literature shows a strong 

relationship between substance use 

and mental disorders. Studies show 

that 30–80 percent of individuals with a 

substance use or mental disorder also 

have a co-occurring disorder.

States may choose not to report 

some of the fields to TEDS, including 

information on SUD treatment 

admissions with a co-occurring 

disorder. These data were not reported 

by Texas in 2012. Therefore, Exhibit 11 

shows regional and national figures 

only. 

40.2%

33.7%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

Region 6 U.S.

Exhibit 11. SUD Treatment Admissions of Adults Ages 50+ 

With a Co-Occurring Mental Disorder in Region 6 and the 

United States, 2012

Proportion of Treatment Admissions 50+ With Co-Occurring Disorders

Source: TEDS, 2012

Data include only those clients reported to SAMHSA.
Alabama ALABAMA Profile 2015 Texas Texas Profile 2016

7

MENTAL HEALTH

Older Texans Reporting Frequent Mental Distress

BRFSS, a household survey conducted 

in all 50 states and several territories, 

asks the following question: “Now 

thinking about your mental health, 

which includes stress, depression, 

and problems with emotions, for how 

many days during the past 30 days 

was your mental health not good?” 

Those individuals reporting 14 or more 

“Yes” days in response to this question 

experience frequent mental distress 

(FMD). Exhibit 12 shows that older 

Texans experience FMD at a rate that 

is lower than the regional and national 

rates.

11.0% 10.7%

6.1%

12.3% 12.4%

6.8%

12.3%

13.0%

7.2%

0%

2%

4%

6%

8%

10%

12%

14%

18 to 49 50 to 64 65+

Texas Region 6 U.S.

Exhibit 12. Individuals Reporting Frequent Mental Distress 

in Texas, Region 6, and the United States, 2013

Proportion Reporting Frequent Mental Distress

Source: BRFSS, 2013

Older Texans Reporting Frequent Mental Distress by Age Group and Sex

Older men in Texas were more likely 

to indulge in binge drinking, but older 

women were more likely to report that 

they had FMD (14 days or more per 

30-day period). As Exhibit 13 shows, 

12.9 percent of women in the 50–64 age 

group and 6.8 percent in the 65+ age 

group reported FMD, while 8.4 percent 

of men in the 50–64 age group and 

5.2 percent in the 65+ age group 

reported FMD. 8.1%

13.9%

8.4%

12.9%

5.2%

6.8%

0%

2%

4%

6%

8%

10%

12%

14%

16%

Male Female

18 to 49 50 to 64 65+

Exhibit 13. Texans Reporting Frequent Mental Distress 

by Age Group and Sex, 2013

Proportion Reporting Frequent Mental Distress

Source: BRFSS, 2013
8

Texas Texas Profile 2016

Other Measures of Mental Health

BRFSS collected other measures showing risk factors for mental and/or physical illness. These included:

• Social and Emotional Support (2010). BRFSS asked, “How often do you get the social and emotional 

support you need?” The possible responses were always, usually, sometimes, rarely, or never. 

• Life Satisfaction (2010). BRFSS asked, “In general, how satisfied are you with your life?” The possible 

responses were very satisfied, satisfied, dissatisfied, or very dissatisfied.

Exhibit 14 presents the results of these surveys among older Texans.

Exhibit 14. BRFSS Measures, 2010

Indicator Ages 50+ Ages 50–64 Ages 65+

Rarely or never get social 

or emotional support 12.1% 11.4% 13.3%

Dissatisfied or very 

dissatisfied 5.2% 6.2% 3.6%

Source: BRFSS, 2010

Individuals With Frequent Mental Distress Report High Rates of Poor Physical 

Health

Older Americans who experienced FMD 

were more likely to report that their 

physical health was poor (14 days or 

more in the past 30-day period when 

physical health was “not good”). As 

shown in Exhibit 15, although nearly 

11 percent of older Americans with no 

mental distress reported poor physical 

health, more than 50 percent of those 

with FMD reported poor physical health.

10.8%

18.1%

52.4%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

No mental distress Some mental distress Frequent mental distress

Exhibit 15. Individuals Ages 50+ in the United States 

Reporting Poor Physical Health by Level of Mental 

Distress, 2013

Proportion Reporting Poor Physical Health

Source: BRFSS, 2013
Alabama ALABAMA Profile 2015 Texas Texas Profile 2016

9

Relationship Among Mental Distress, Diabetes, Stroke, Heart Attack, 

High Blood Pressure, and Coronary Disease

Older Americans who experience FMD 

are more likely to report that they have 

health problems. People with FMD 

were more than twice as likely to report 

having a stroke than those with some 

or no mental distress. They experienced 

coronary disease and heart attack at 

more than 1.6 times, diabetes at more 

than 1.4 times, and high blood pressure 

at nearly 1.2 times the rate of those with 

some or no mental distress.

10.1%

13.3% 13.2%

25.9%

60.6%

4.7%

7.6% 7.8%

17.7%

51.1%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

Stroke Coronary disease Heart attack Diabetes High blood pressure

Frequent mental distress Some or no mental distress

Exhibit 16. Individuals Ages 50+ in the United States 

With Mental Distress and Serious Health Problems, 2013

Proportion Reporting Health Problems by Mental Health Category

Source: BRFSS, 2013

Older Texans Admitted to State Mental Health Services

Approximately 3.1 percent of the people served by the Texas mental health system were ages 65 and older. 

This represents more than 9,980 adults.

Source: Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) Uniform Reporting System (URS) Output Tables, 2014
10 Texas Texas Profile 2016

DATA SOURCES

BEHAVIORAL RISK FACTOR SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM (www.cdc.gov/brfss). BRFSS, managed by CDC, 

is the largest ongoing telephone health survey system in the world, tracking health conditions and risk 

behaviors in the United States annually since 1984. Data are collected on a monthly basis in all 50 states, 

the District of Columbia, and participating territories. BRFSS data are collected by local jurisdictions and 

reported to CDC.

CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION, NATIONAL CENTER FOR HEALTH 

STATISTICS, UNDERLYING CAUSE OF DEATH 1999-2013 ON CDC WONDER ONLINE DATABASE, 

RELEASED 2015 (http://wonder.cdc.gov/ucd-icd10.html). The WONDER online database “contains 

mortality and population counts for all U.S. counties. Data are based on death certificates for U.S. 

residents. Each death certificate identifies a single underlying cause of death and demographic data. 

The number of deaths, crude death rates or age-adjusted death rates, and 95% confidence intervals 

and standard errors for death rates can be obtained by place of residence (total U.S., region, state and 

county), age group (single-year-of age, 5-year age groups, 10-year age groups and infant age groups), 

race, Hispanic ethnicity, gender, year, cause-of-death (4-digit ICD-10 code or group of codes), injury 

intent and injury mechanism, drug/alcohol induced causes and urbanization categories. Data are also 

available for place of death, month and week day of death, and whether an autopsy was performed.”

CENTER FOR MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES UNIFORM REPORTING SYSTEM (www.samhsa.gov/data

/us_map). States that receive CMHS Block Grants are required to report aggregate data to URS. URS 

reports include information about utilization of mental health services and client demographic and 

outcome information.

NATIONAL SURVEY ON DRUG USE AND HEALTH (https://nsduhweb.rti.org). The NSDUH, managed 

by SAMHSA, is “an annual nationwide survey involving interviews with approximately 70,000 randomly 

selected individuals aged 12 and older.” NSDUH data are most frequently used by state planners 

to assess the need for SUD treatment. NSDUH data also include information about mental health 

conditions.

TREATMENT EPISODE DATA SET (www.samhsa.gov/data/client-level-data-teds/reports?tab=19). States 

that receive Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant funds submit individual client data 

to TEDS. TEDS includes both admission and discharge data sets, and some 1.5 million admissions are 

reported annually. TEDS includes information about utilization of SUD treatment services and client 

demographic and outcome information. TEDS is an admission-based system, and TEDS admissions do 

not represent individuals. Thus, an individual admitted to treatment twice within a calendar year would 

be counted as two admissions.

U.S. CENSUS BUREAU (www.census.gov/people). Two main sources of Census Bureau data were used 

in this report: (1) population estimates and (2) population projections.