Trends in treatment provided
Many types of treatment are available in Australia, aiming to reduce the risk of harm associated with drug use through services such as counselling, withdrawal management, rehabilitation, support and case management or information and education. Some people may require ongoing support to achieve long-term change. For other people, early support and treatment will be sufficient to reduce harms and prevent the need for further treatment or they may access treatment intermittently as required (Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care 2019).
People can receive treatment for their own or someone else’s alcohol or drug use. Rehabilitation, withdrawal management (detoxification) and pharmacotherapy are only available for people who received treatment for their own alcohol or drug use.
In 2024–25:
- 244,411 treatment episodes were provided to 127,804 clients for their own or someone else’s alcohol or drug (AOD) use.
- Clients received 1.9 treatment episodes per person nationally, meaning almost 2 treatment episodes were provided to each client (Table SCR.21).
Between 2015–16 and 2024–25:
- Treatment episodes overall rose to a high of 242,980 in 2020–21, before falling in 2021–22 (228,451), rising in 2024–25 (244,411). Treatment episodes rose by 18% from 2015–16 (206,395).
- Episodes for clients receiving treatment for their own AOD use increased by 8% from 2015–16 (198,507) to 2024–25 (214,662).
- Episodes for clients who received treatment for someone else’s AOD use were nearly 4 times higher, rising from 7,888 in 2015–16 to 29,749 in 2024–25.
On average clients received more than one treatment episode within a year. Indicating, those who do receive treatment are receiving multiple episodes of care.
- Client numbers overall declined by 8.2% from a peak of 139,295 in 2019–20 dropping to 127,804 in 2024–25.
- Between 2015–16 (131,230) and 2024–25 client numbers fell by 3%.
- Client numbers for people receiving AOD treatment for their own use fell by 7% between 2015–16 (125,655) to 2024–25 (117,132).
- Whereas, client numbers for people receiving AOD treatment for someone else’s AOD use almost doubled between 2015–16 (5,575) to 2024–25 (10,672).
Treatment episodes for clients who received treatment for their own alcohol or drug use
In 2024–25:
- 214,662 (88%) of treatment episodes were provided to 117,132 clients for their own alcohol or drug use (tables Trt.2, SC.1).
- Among these clients:
- Counselling was the most common treatment across most age groups followed by an assessment only, except for:
- Clients aged 10–19, where it was counselling (42%) followed by support and case management (29%).
- Clients aged over 60, where it was assessment only (35%) followed by counselling (33%).
- Counselling was the most common treatment across most age groups followed by an assessment only, except for:
- Older Clients (aged 40 and over) were more likely to receive withdrawal management as a main treatment type (7.8–9.8%) than younger clients (aged 10–19) (3.5%) (Figure 1, Table SC.19).
Treatment episodes for clients who received treatment for someone else’s alcohol or drug use
In 2024–25:
- 29,749 (12%) of treatment episodes were provided to 10,672 clients for someone else’s own alcohol or drug use (tables Trt.2, SC.19).
- The age of these clients varied by main treatment type. Counselling was the most common treatment provided to:
- 40% of clients aged 40–49.
- 50% of clients aged 50–59.
- 62% of clients aged over 60.
- 2 in 5 clients aged 10–19 (41%), 20–29 (45%) or 30–39 (43%), received support and case management (Figure 1, Table SC.19).
- The age of these clients varied by main treatment type. Counselling was the most common treatment provided to:
Figure 1: Clients, by client type, main treatment type and age group, 2024–25
Stacked horizontal bar chart shows age group by main treatment type in 2024–25. Data is filtered by client type.
Trends in main treatment types
The types of treatments clients received have changed over time, reflecting expansion and changes to service delivery practices, changes in coding practices/methodology, state and territory policies and the clients’ needs at the time of an assessment.
In 2024–25, counselling continued to be the most common main treatment type, making up almost one third (32%) of all treatment episodes, followed by assessment only (21%) and support and case management (18%).
Trends for all clients who received treatment
Between 2015–16 and 2024–25:
- Counselling was the most common treatment type. Episodes rose from 36% (75,184), and peaked at 40% in 2016–17, before declining to 32% (77,976) in 2024–25. Changes in trends maybe related to:
- AOD services adapted to other ways of delivering AOD treatment, such as, telehealth models during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Changes to coding practices: from 2020–21, diversion programs were reported as counselling in a few states (previously recorded as information and education). Caution should be used when comparing these data over time.
- Assessment only episodes rose from 33,168 (16%) in 2015–16 to 51,075 (21%) in 2024–25.
- This increase may be due in part to recording a separate assessment only episode, prior to commencement of treatment in some states and territories.
- Support and case management episodes increased from 27,798 (13%) in 2015–16 to 43,594 (18%) in 2024–25.
- Information education episodes remained relatively steady up to 2018–19 (18,039, 8.2%) before falling in 2024–25 (5,903, 2.4%) (Figure 2, Table Trt.3). This was due to:
- Changes to coding practices: from 2020–21, police and court diversion programs were reported as counselling (previously coded as Information and Education). Caution should be used when comparing these data over time.
- ‘Other’ main treatment type increased from 9,593 (4.7%) in 2015–16 to 23,616 (9.7%) in 2024–25 (Figure 2, Table Trt.3). This increase is noticeable from 2019–20 and likely relates to:
- Agencies adapted to telephone/video conference consultations (during COVID-19).
Treatment episodes for clients who received treatment for their own alcohol or drug use
Between 2015–16 and 2024–25:
- Counselling remained the most common treatment, but dropped from 39% (74,753) of episodes in 2016–17 to 33% (70,732) in 2024–25.
- Withdrawal management episodes fell from 12% (23,853) in 2015–16 to 9.8% (20,929) in 2024–25.
- Assessment only (from 16% to 23%) and ‘other’ treatment rose (from 4.7% to 9.0%) over this period.
Treatment episodes for clients who received treatment for someone else’s alcohol or drug use
Between 2015–16 and 2024–25:
- Until 2020–21, counselling was the most common treatment type, peaking at 73% (5,637) of episodes in 2016–17 before falling to 25% (7,244) in 2024–25.
- Support and case management became the most common main treatment, increasing over 8-fold in the 10 years to 2021–22. It rose from 9% in 2017–18 to 50% in 2024–25 (Table Trt.3).
- This increase may be due in part to changes in coding practices for support and case management in 2019–20. The word ‘only’ was removed (support and case management only) allowing agencies to more accurately capture this treatment type in conjunction with other treatment types.
For further information on changes in the AODTS NMDS collection see 2024–25 AODTS NMDS Data Quality Statement.
Figure 2: Treatment episodes, by client type and main treatment type, 2015–16 to 2024–25
Line graph shows main treatment type provided to all clients across the period 2015–16 to 2024–25. Data is filtered by per cent, number of clients and client type.
Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care 2019. National Framework for Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Treatment 2019–29, Department of Health and Aged Care, Australian Government, accessed 6 March 2024.