Computerized Screening of Substance Abuse Problems in a Primary Care Setting: Older vs. Younger Adults

• Published in: The American journal of drug and alcohol abuse 2004-01, Vol.30 (3), p.627-642
• Main Authors: Nemes, Susanna, Rao, Patricia A., Zeiler, Christine, Munly, Kelly, Holtz, Kristen D., Hoffman, Jeffrey
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Addictive behaviors; Adolescent; Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Age Differences; Age Factors; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Alcohol abuse; Alcohol use; Alcoholism - diagnosis; Alcoholism - epidemiology; Attitude to Health; Biological and medical sciences; Comparative analysis; Computer Software; Cross-Sectional Studies; DAPA-PC; Diagnosis; Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted; District of Columbia - epidemiology; Drug abuse; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Health risk assessment; Humans; Male; Mass Screening - statistics & numerical data; Medical sciences; Medical screening; Methodology (Data Collection); Middle Aged; MMPI - statistics & numerical data; Older adults; Older people; Primary care; Primary Health Care - statistics & numerical data; Psychoanalysis; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychometrics; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Reproducibility of Results; Risk; Substance Abuse; Substance-Related Disorders - diagnosis; Substance-Related Disorders - epidemiology; Young adults
• ISSN: 0095-2990; 1097-9891
• DOI: 10.1081/ADA-200032312

The purpose of the current study was to examine differences in responses of older adults (age 55 and above) and younger adults (ages 18 to 54) to the Drug Abuse Problem Assessment for Primary Care (DAPA-PC), a computerized drug and alcohol abuse screening instrument developed for primary care settings. Data were collected from a diverse population of 327 adults presenting for care at The George Washington University Medical Faculty Associates clinic in downtown Washington, DC. Results indicated that rates of drug and alcohol abuse were similar in both groups. However, older adults were less likely than younger adults to perceive their drug use as problematic. This finding has serious implications for older adults, who tend to be underrepresented in treatment programs. There is a need for screening seniors and identifying those who may be at risk for substance abuse problems. Differences in responses to alcohol and drug assessments by age should be taken into consideration when designing screening instruments. The results of this study suggest that the DAPA-PC would provide a useful instrument for screening older adults in a primary care setting.