Substance misuse: statistics

16.6% of adults in England report drinking to hazardous levels, while 1.2% report levels which indicate probable alcohol dependence.1

3.1% of adults in England show signs of drug dependence, and men (4.3%) are more likely to be dependent on illegal drugs than women (1.9%).2

Half of the people with drug dependence received mental health treatment in 2014, and adults with drug dependence are twice as likely as the general population to use psychological therapy.3

Browse all of the mental health statistics

Our 2016 study 'The Fundamental Facts about Mental Health' follows a comprehensive summary of mental health research, providing a unique handbook of key facts and figures, covering all key areas of mental health.

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Drugs and Alcohol: A-Z Topics

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People holding drugs

References

  1. Drummond, C., McBride, O., Fear, N., & Fuller, E. (2016). Chapter 10: Alcohol dependence. In S. McManus, P. Bebbington, R. Jenkins, & T. Brugha (Eds.), Mental health and wellbeing in England: Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey 2014. Leeds: NHS Digital.
  2. Roberts, C., Lepps, H., Strang, J., & Singleton, N. (2016). Chapter 11: Drug use and dependence. In S. McManus, P. Bebbington, R. Jenkins, & T. Brugha (Eds.), Mental health and wellbeing in England: Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey 2014. Leeds: NHS Digital.
  3. Ibid.