A Day in the Life of Older Adults: Substance Use Facts CBHSQ Data

These numbers were similar among slightly younger groups of older adults, with 939,000 adults ages 50 to 54 and 1.02 million adults ages 55 to 59 meeting DSM-IV criteria for alcohol dependence or abuse in the past year. The 2019 NSDUH43 found that, in individuals ages 65 and older, an estimated 5.6 million (10.7 percent) engaged in past-month binge alcohol use and an estimated 1.5 million (2.8 percent) engaged in past-month heavy alcohol use. Providers need to learn about effective interventions for older adults so that they can offer treatment or referrals for treatment quickly and appropriately. Also, baby boomers (those born between 1946 and 1964) came of age when opinions about alcohol, marijuana, and other drugs were changing.

Detox removes these toxins from the body and helps to reset these chemical changes in the brain and body. When people then return to abusing drugs or alcohol at levels they may have been previously tolerant to, the body is not able to handle these amounts any longer, and overdose may occur. Both residential and outpatient treatment models usually have similar components, such as therapy, group and individual counseling, 12-Step and mutual support group meetings, educational opportunities, https://ecosoberhouse.com/ life skills training workshops, and holistic treatment methods. With outpatient treatment models, individuals attend sessions or meetings during the day and return to their residences at night, while residential treatment means individuals will stay on site at a specialized substance abuse treatment facility, and receive care and supervision around the clock. Loneliness can manifest in various ways in older adults, and it is crucial to recognize the signs of addiction in seniors.

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The goal of an intervention is to help someone see the need for, and willingly enter, a treatment program. Motivational counseling and education on substance abuse and addiction may help someone gain the internal motivation to seek treatment and may be as effective for some people as a structured intervention. Regardless of the reason for abusing prescription or illicit drugs or alcohol, abuse can lead to addiction, which is a disease that can be managed with the proper treatment. The effects of tobacco and alcohol, the two most commonly used drugs, on multiple organs, are well known. Other drugs, such as opioids and benzodiazepines can cause or exacerbate respiratory depression. Injection drug use can cause a variety of infections (e.g., endocarditis), which are more likely to occur in individuals with general medical conditions.

• Older individuals who misuse substances may require treatment even if they do not meet DSM-5 criteria for an SUD.
• Although alcohol caused very few deaths in this age group, the rates have increased in recent years.
• Societal norms tend to reinforce the perception that older adults do not have SUD (Kuerbis and Sacco, 2013).

This article presents an overview of epidemiology, service use, and clinical considerations on SUD in older adults and suggests future directions. SUD prevalence is lower in older versus younger adults, as are treatment rates among those with SUD. SUDs may be difficult to recognize and treat in older adults due to the presence of other psychiatric and general medical disorders. Better integration of SUD and general medical treatment, and increased attention to social determinants of health, are important future directions for research and treatment of SUD in elders. When assessing or speaking to older adults about substance use, some general considerations should apply. This makes it harder for family members, caregivers, and healthcare and behavioral health service providers to recognize when older adults misuse substances.

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Understanding these barriers is a key step in reducing substance misuse in the older adult population. Such misuse limits one’s ability to function and to achieve the best possible quality of life, regardless of age. As adults age, they metabolize alcohol differently and become more sensitive to its effects even when they drink less.55 This increases risk of confusion, falls, and injury, and worsens existing health issues. For example, individuals who are unaware of a medication’s potential to cause dependence or other harms may consume more than prescribed. Other individuals may have difficulty in monitoring when they have taken their medication and take more than the recommended dose.

Reducing these neurotransmitters has been linked with higher rates of depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues, increasing one’s risk for substance abuse or addiction. Addiction may start innocently enough, as elderly individuals are likely not abusing drugs to get high, but rather may be using them to reduce physical pain or emotional difficulties. Alcohol and drugs present unique problems for the older adult population, however, negatively affecting both mental and physical health.

Risk Factors for Substance Use Disorders in Older Adults

Understanding these factors is crucial in developing effective prevention and intervention strategies. Therefore, the review of interventions discussed later is of those treatments for which there is some initial evidence of substance abuse in older adults efficacy and/or effectiveness among this population. The questions can be adapted to a specific substance, such as a prescription medication, and they can be asked either in the context of an interview or self-administered.

• 11 percent of older adults with any mental illness in the past year also had an SUD.
• Additionally, grief, loss, and bereavement can further drive seniors towards substance misuse as they seek solace.
• A meta-analysis suggests that when compliance with disulfiram is not monitored, its efficacy is no different from that of control conditions.142
  Monitoring for adherence is essential for disulfiram to be effective.
• Individuals who are over 65 and battling addiction may therefore be best suited to a treatment program that understands the particular complications that may face the elderly population.