Working Paper: NBER ID: w19115
Authors: Jonathan H. Cantor; Brady P. Horn; Johanna Catherine Maclean
Abstract: Previous economic research shows that recessions lead to worsening substance abuse. In this paper we study the effect of recessions on admissions to specialty substance abuse treatment using administrative data between 1992 and 2015. Using data from Treatment Episode Data Set and a differences-in-differences empirical strategy, we find no evidence that recessions influence the overall number of admissions. However, we document substantial heterogeneity across drugs of abuse. Combining our findings with previous economic studies suggests that unmet need for substance abuse treatment increases during recessions.
Keywords: Substance Abuse; Recession; Treatment Admissions; Differences-in-Differences
JEL Codes: I1; I12; J2
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| economic recessions (F44) | overall admissions to specialty treatment (L83) |
| state unemployment rate (J65) | heroin admissions (I12) |
| state unemployment rate (J65) | stimulant admissions (I12) |
| state unemployment rate (J65) | admissions for drugs not classified elsewhere (Y90) |
| economic conditions (E66) | treatment admissions (I12) |
| economic recessions (F44) | unmet need for treatment (I12) |