OBJECTIVES: We assessed the detection of mental illness in an adult population of substance abuse patients and the rate of referral for mental health treatment. METHODS: We obtained combined administrative records from 1994 to 1997 provided by the New Jersey substance abuse and mental health systems and estimated detection and referral rates of patients with co-occurring disorders (n = 47,379). Mental illness was considered detected if a diagnosis was in the record and considered undetected if a diagnosis was not in the record but the patient was seen in both treatment systems within the same 12-month period. Predictors of detection and referral were identified. RESULTS: The detection rate of co-occurring mental illness was 21.9% (n=10364); 57.9% (n=6001) of these individuals were referred for mental health treatment. Methadone maintenance clinics had the lowest detection rate but the highest referral rate. Male, Hispanic, and African American patients, as well as those who used heroin or were in the criminal justice system, had a higher risk of mental illness not being detected. Once detected, African American patients, heroin users, and patients in the criminal justice system were less likely to be referred for treatment. CONCLUSIONS: There is a need to improve the detection of mental illness among substance abuse patients and to provide integrated treatment.

OBJECTIVE: The detrimental effects of alcohol misuse and dependence are well documented as an important public-health issue among American Indian adults. This preponderance of problem-centered research, however, has eclipsed some important resilience factors associated with life course patterns of American Indian alcohol use. In this study, we investigate the influence of enculturation, and each of the three component dimensions (traditional practices, traditional spirituality, and cultural identity) to provide a stringent evaluation of the specific mechanisms through which traditional culture affects alcohol cessation among American Indians. METHOD: These data were collected as part of a 3-year lagged sequential study currently underway on four American Indian reservations in the upper Midwest and five Canadian First Nation reserves. The sample consisted of 980 Native American adults, with 71% women and 29% men who are parents or guardians of youth ages 10-12 years old. Logistic regression was used to assess the unique contribution of the indicators of alcohol cessation. Excluding adults who had no lifetime alcohol use, the total sample size for present analysis is 732 adult respondents. RESULTS: The findings show that older adults, women, and married adults were more likely to have quit using alcohol. When we examined the individual components of enculturation, two of the three components (participation in traditional activities and traditional spirituality) had significantly positive effects on alcohol cessation. CONCLUSIONS: Although our findings provide empirical evidence that traditional practices and traditional spirituality play an important role in alcohol cessation, the data are cross-sectional and therefore do not indicate direction of effects. Longitudinal studies are warranted, in light of the work that concludes that cultural/spiritual issues may be more important in maintaining sobriety once it is established rather than initiating it.