Service Utilization of Asians and Other Racial-Ethnic Groups: Comparisons in a State Substance Abuse Treatment System

Abstract

Based on an administrative data base of 410,000 substance abuse treatment clients in New York State, Asians are a small minority who differ significantly from other racial–ethnic groups on income, primary language, treatment setting, substance of abuse, referral source, and discharge status. In particular, relative to other race-ethnicity groups such as whites, blacks, and Hispanics, significantly greater percentages of Asians are referred from drinking–driving programs and completed treatment. However, most of the significant differences between Asians and other groups are found among clients with a first admission, and tended to attenuate among clients with a second or third admission.

Keywords :

• Asians
• ethnicity
• substance abuse treatment
• service utilization