Study Shows Rapid Increase in Cannabis, Stimulant Use Disorder Diagnoses Among Veterans

Substance use disorder (SUD) diagnoses increased among veterans over the last decade, with the largest upticks recorded for cannabis and stimulant use disorder diagnoses, according to findings published in The American Journal on Addictions.

“[SUD] represents a substantial health burden to US Veterans,” said a research team from California. “We aimed to quantify recent time trends in Veterans' substance-specific disorders using Veterans Health Administration (VA) data.”

Using approximately 6 million VA electronic health records per year, researchers gathered data on patient demographics and diagnostic characteristics spanning fiscal years (FY) 2010 through 2019. They used ICD-9 and ICD-10 codes to identify SUDs by type.

Between FY 2010 and FY 2015, the number of diagnoses for polysubstance use disorder, drug use disorder, SUD, and substance-specific disorders excluding cocaine increased by 2% to 13% annually. Additionally, the incidence of alcohol, cannabis, and stimulant use disorders increased by 4% to 18% annually between FY 2016 and FY 2019. 

Older veterans experienced the largest increases, signaling a potential target for intervention, according to the findings.

“Rapid increases in cannabis and stimulant use disorder present a treatment challenge and key subgroups (eg, older adults) may require tailored screening and treatment options,” researchers advised.

Meanwhile, cocaine, opioid, and sedative use disorders declined at a rate of ≤1% annually during FY 2016 and FY 2019. 

“Diagnoses for SUD are increasing among Veterans overall, but there is important heterogeneity by substance and subgroup,” the team said. “Efforts to ensure access to evidence-based treatment for SUD may require greater focus on cannabis and stimulants, particularly for older adults.”

Reference:
Hoggatt KJ, Chawla N, Washington DL, Yano EM. Trends in substance use disorder diagnoses among Veterans, 2009-2019. Am J Addict. Published online March 8, 2023. doi:10.1111/ajad.13413