Alcohol and other drug use in older adults: results from a community needs assessment

• Published in: Aging clinical and experimental research 2017-12, Vol.29 (6), p.1149-1155
• Main Authors: Loscalzo, Emily, Sterling, Robert C., Weinstein, Stephen P., Salzman, Brooke
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Alcohol Drinking - epidemiology; Alcohol use; Anxiety; Baby boomers; Depression - epidemiology; Drug abuse; Female; Geriatrics/Gerontology; Humans; Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Middle Aged; Needs analysis; Needs Assessment; Older people; Original Article; Philadelphia - epidemiology; Prevalence; Quality of Life; Social Support; Socioeconomic factors; Substance-Related Disorders - epidemiology; Urban Population - statistics & numerical data; Well being
• ISSN: 1720-8319; 1594-0667; 1720-8319
• DOI: 10.1007/s40520-016-0718-z

Background With the “Baby Boomer” generation reaching older adulthood, substance abuse treatment providers find themselves needing to address the unique needs of this population. Heavy drinking in adults ages 65 and over is strongly correlated with depression, anxiety, decreased social support, and poor health. However, while alcohol misuse has been shown to be predictive of a lower quality of life in older adults, the generalizability of these findings to urban dwelling, lower socioeconomic status individuals remains unclear. Aims To identify potential treatment needs of this population, a city-funded needs assessment was conducted. Methods Subjects were 249 individuals (44% male) who voluntarily completed measures of quality of life (QOL), depression, and substance abuse. Measures used included the Psychological General Well-Being Schedule, the Geriatric Depression Scale-15, and the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). Results Alcohol or substance abuse was reported by over 20% of respondents, with 3.4% of respondents engaged in maladaptive alcohol use. Scores on the AUDIT were predictive of increased depression ( r  = − .209, p  = .01), anxiety ( r  = − .201, p  = .002), lower general well-being ( r  = − .154, p  = .019), and decreased self-control ( r  = − .157, p  = .017). Discussion A substantial percentage of the sample reported alcohol and substance misuse. Alcohol use was predictive of depression, global psychological distress, and decreased quality of life. Conclusions This needs assessment reinforces findings from previous studies and addresses the added dimension of examining this in an urban, lower socioeconomic population.