Epidemiologische Suchtsurvey: Overview

The Epidemiological Survey of Substance Abuse (“representative survey on the use and abuse of psychoactive substances”) has been conducted since 1980 as a repeated cross-sectional survey of the population of Germany. Before 1990, the surveys covered the territory of the former Federal Republic of Germany. However, since 1990, the new federal states have also been included in the survey. To monitor the use of illicit drugs exclusively in the new federal states, a survey was conducted in eastern Germany in 1992.

Except for the 1980 survey, which was only carried out in seven of the eleven states of the old Federal Republic, all studies in the Epidemiological Survey of Substance Abuse are representative of the Federal Republic. In all surveys, except for 1980, participants personally completed the questionnaire. In the 1980 survey, interviewers were used in Bavaria. In the 2006 survey, telephone interviews were conducted in addition to the written questionnaire. Since the 2009 survey, a mix of methods consisting of written, telephone, and internet surveys have been implemented.

The target population of the study changed from a youth and young adult sample between 1980 (ages 12-24) and 1990 (ages 12-39) to an adult-only sample (ages 18-59) starting in 1995. Since 2006, the 60-64 age group has also been surveyed.

Overview of the ESA Surveys 1980-2021

Year	N	Region		Age	Response rate			Design		Method	Reference
2021	9.046	Entire area	18-64			35 %	Population registers; probability sample		Paper and pencil/ telephone/ online			Rauschert, Möckl, Seitz, Wilms, Olderbak, & Kraus, 2022
2018	9.267	Entire area	18-64			42 %	Population registers; probability sample		Paper and pencil/ telephone/ online			Atzendorf et al., 2019 Seitz et al., 2019
2015	9.204	Entire area	18-64			52 %	Population registers; probability sample		Paper and pencil/ telephone/ online			Piontek, & Kraus, 2016
2012	9.,084	Entire area	18-64			54 %	Population registers; probability sample		Paper and pencil/ telephone/ online			Kraus, Piontek, Pabst, & Gomes de Matos, 2013
2009	8.030	Entire area	18-64			50 %	Population registers; probability sample		Paper and pencil/ telephone/ online			Kraus, & Pabst, 2010
2006	7.912	Entire area	18-64			45 %	Population registers; probability sample		Paper and pencil/ telephone			Kraus & Baumeister, 2008
2003	8.061	Entire area	18-59			55 %	Population registers; probability sample		Paper and pencil			Kraus, & Augustin, 2005
2000	8.139	Entire area	18-59			51 %	Population registers; probability sample		Paper and pencil			Kraus, & Augustin, 2001
1997	8.020	Entire area	18-59			65 %	Electoral distric ts; random route sampling		Paper and pencil			Kraus, & Bauernfeind, 1998
1995	7.833	Entire area	18-59			65 %	Electoral distric ts; random route sampling		Paper and pencil			Herbst, Kraus, & Scherer, 1996
1992	4.455	East	12-39			54 %	Population registers; probability sample		Paper and pencil			Herbst et al., 1993
1990	19.208 2.424	West East	12-39			64 %	Population registers; probability sample		Paper and pencil			Simon, & Wiblishauser, 1993
1986	5.501	West	12-29			64 %	Population registers; probability sample		Paper and pencil			Infratest Gesundheits- forschung, 1987
1980	10.240	West	12-24			67 %	Population registers; probability sample		Paper and pencil, Interviews in Bavaria			Infratest, 1983

Overview of the ESA Surveys 1980-2021

Study

Results

Publications

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