The American Society of Addiction Medicine has released the first clinical guide and national resource for managing the intoxication and withdrawal of medetomidine.
|Articles|January 15, 2015
Substance Abuse by “Mature” Adults
Author(s)Louis A. Trevisan, MD
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Key Takeaways
- Atypical presentations in later life require heightened suspicion for substance misuse when new mood, sleep, cognition, falls, or functional decline emerges.
- Clinical clues include medication nonadherence, escalating sedative/hypnotic use, unexplained injuries, social withdrawal, and alcohol–drug interactions amplified by age-related pharmacokinetic changes.
Is your older patient using or abusing drugs or alcohol? This video reviews how general psychiatrists can provide effective intervention when a substance abuse problem is identified.
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Is your older patient using or abusing drugs or alcohol? In this video, Louis A. Trevisan, MD, helps to answer frequently asked questions about substance abuse in older adults:
- How can general psychiatrists provide effective intervention when a substance abuse (SA) problem is identified?
- What are the clues that suggest that an older person may be having a substance abuse problem?
- Is there an efficient and effective means of screening older adults who may be at risk for SA-or who may already be abusing alcohol or another agent?
- When is a comprehensive examination for substance abuse warranted?
- How can the general psychiatrist realistically provide effective intervention when a substance abuse problem is identified?
Dr Trevisan is Associate Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut. He is the Acting Chief of Psychiatry at VA Connecticut Healthcare System. He is certified in addiction and geriatric psychiatry and teaches in both the addiction and geriatric psychiatry fellowships at Yale University.
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