VISION co-Deputy Director, Professor Sally McManus, has published an article for The Conversation, Drug use is changing in England – with more adults showing signs of dependence. Written with Sarah Morris from the National Centre for Social Research, the article is based on their research using the Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey (APMS) 2023-2024 with colleagues.

The APMS is the longest running mental health survey series in the world and provides a picture of how mental health is changing across England. The national study includes people from across English society, not just those that currently use NHS services or have in the past. A random sample of approximately 7,000 adults aged 16 to 100 living in England were asked questions about their mental health, whether they used any of a range of illicit drugs, and if they had experienced signs of dependence, such as symptoms of withdrawal or increased tolerance.

Findings

• Drug use may be more widespread
• Non-medical use of prescription opioids may be more widespread
• In the 16- to 24-year-old age group, the signs of drug dependence were similarly common in men and women which is a noticeable shift from past APMS findings
• Cannabis dependence is rising
• There appears to be a lack of specialist support as about one adult in every five who showed signs of drug dependence reported they’d ever received support or treatment for drug use