
- Vol 37, Issue 8
- Volume 37
- Issue 8
5 Steps to Improve Outcomes in Substance Abuse in Older Patients
Addiction among older adults is associated with worse medical outcomes and increased economic burden of care. The long-term use of psychoactive substances can result in adverse neurological outcomes even at therapeutic doses.
ADDICTION & SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS
The population of older adults with substance use disorders (SUDs) is increasing in the United States.1 It has been postulated that by the end of 2020 there will be approximately 5.7 million older adults with SUDs when compared with 2.8 million individuals in 20062;the number of emergency department visits for drug misuse on an average day for older patients can be seen in
Older adults are considered an at-risk population for using psychoactive drugs, as aging is
associated with an increased burden of health-related issues and psychosocial stressors that can increase the risks due to use of psychoactive drugs.3,4 It is estimated that at least 1 in 4 older adults has used psychoactive medications within a pattern of substance abuse.
The 2005-2007
The
Among individuals aged 50 years or older, the past-year non-medical use of prescription opioids at 1.4% is more prevalent than the non-medical use of prescription sedatives (0.14%), tranquilizers (0.46%), and stimulants (0.16%).8 In this age group, the past-year prevalence of prescription opioid use disorders was low at 0.13%, but the risk of prescription opioid dependence was higher at 7.6%. Of concern is that in the US, 8.7% of individuals aged 65 to 80 years filled at least one prescription for benzodiazepines in a 1-year period with 31.4% of these individuals receiving benzodiazepines for longer than 120 days in a year.9 These data suggest a population at increased risk for SUDs and associated comorbidities.
Risk factors
Risk factors for the development of SUDs among older adults include a history of substance use, comorbid psychiatric disorders, and the presence of cognitive impairment.10 Factors that mitigate the development of SUDs include being married, no previous history of substance use, and a religious affiliation. SUDs are moderately to highly heritable; findings indicate that an individual’s risk would be proportional to the degree of genetic relationship to the relative with SUDs. For reference, the heritability rates for hallucinogen use disorder is 0.39 and for cocaine use disorder is 0.72.
Consequences
SUDs among older adults is associated with worse medical outcomes and increased economic burden of care. The long-term use of psychoactive substances can result in adverse neurological outcomes even at therapeutic doses. These adverse effects include drowsiness, confusion, slowed psychomotor functioning, impaired reaction time, incoordination, ataxia, falls, and amnesia. The sustained use of psychoactive drugs often results in the development of physiological and physical dependence. Abrupt discontinuation of these drugs may result in serious withdrawal symptoms including delirium and seizures. The use of these substances may also result in problematic drug interactions with other prescribed medications or over-the-counter medical products.
Chronic use of psychoactive drugs can result in multiple medical complications including cardiac, hepatic, and renal impairments leading to greater rates of disability, morbidity and mortality. Approximately one-fifth of older adults who are hospitalized due to psychiatric disorders have a comorbid substance use disorder.
Assessments
Available evidence indicates that SUDs among older adults are often underdiagnosed and poorly treated.10 The reasons for this underdiagnosis and poor treatment include lack of awareness regarding these disorders, denial of the disorder, the shame and stigma of using addictive substances, reluctance to seek professional help, lack of financial resources, the lack of social supports, the presence of comorbid conditions, limited time spent with primary care physicians, and the ageist attitudes toward mental health disorders among older individuals.
The use of standard diagnostic criteria (eg, DSM-5), which are validated for use among younger adults tends to underestimate the prevalence of SUDs when among older adults. The
Treatments
Available evidence indicates that treatments for SUDs among older adults are as successful as treatments for substance use disorders among younger adults.10 Programs that improve outcomes among older adults with SUDs include those that emphasize age-specific treatments, use of supportive and non-confrontational approaches that build self-esteem, emphasize cognitive-behavioral approaches, assist in development of skills to improve social support, use counselors who are trained and motivated to work with older adults and use of age-appropriate pace and content.4,11 Additionally, older adults have better outcomes when they are enrolled in programs where there is close monitoring for drug interactions and adverse effects of medication treatments.3,12 This is especially true among individuals withdrawing from alcohol and other drugs in which the withdrawal symptoms may be severe and prolonged.
Conclusions
The number of older adults with an SUD will increase appreciably in the near future. The currently available diagnostic criteria that have been developed to identify SUDs among younger individuals are less sensitive in identifying SUDs among older adults. The use of standardized screening tools and specific diagnostic criteria will improve the identification of older individuals with SUDs.
Older adults with SUDs respond well to treatments, if these programs are specifically designed to meet the needs of the older adult population. However, additional studies are needed because there is a dearth of evidence regarding pharmacotherapy for SUDs among older adults.
Dr Tampi is Chairman, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Cleveland Clinic Akron General, Akron, OH; Chief, Section for Geriatric Psychiatry, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH; and Professor of Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH.Ms Tampi is Executive Vice President, Diamond Healthcare, Richmond, VA. Dr Farivar is Vice Chairman, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences; and Medical Director, Alcohol & Drug Recovery Center, Cleveland Clinic Akron General, Akron, OH. The authors report no conflicts of interest concerning the subject matter of this article.
This article originally appeared online on July 9, 2020 under the title, "Substance Use Disorders Among Older Adults: Five Steps to Improve Outcomes," and has since been updated. -Ed.
References
1. Kuerbis A, Sacco P, Blazer DG, Moore AA. Substance abuse among older adults. Clin Geriatr Med. 2014;30:629-654.
2. Yarnell S, Li L, MacGrory B, et al. Substance use disorders in later life: a review and synthesis of the literature of an emerging public health concern. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2020;28:226-236.
3. Simoni-Wastila L, Yang HK. Psychoactive drug abuse in older adults. Am J Geriatr Pharmacother. 2006;4:380-394.
4. Wu LT, Blazer DG. Illicit and nonmedical drug use among older adults: a review. J Aging Health. 2011;23:481-504.
5. Blazer DG, Wu LT. The epidemiology of alcohol use disorders and subthreshold dependence in a middle-aged and elderly community sample. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2011;19:685-694.
6. Blazer DG, Wu LT. Patterns of tobacco use and tobacco-related psychiatric morbidity and substance use among middle-aged and older adults in the United States. Aging Ment Health. 2012;16:296-304.
7. Blazer DG, Wu LT. The epidemiology of substance use and disorders among middle aged and elderly community adults: national survey on drug use and health. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2009;17:237-245.
8. Blazer DG, Wu LT. Nonprescription use of pain relievers by middle-aged and elderly community-living adults: National Survey on Drug Use and Health. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2009;57:1252-1257.
9. Olfson M, King M, Schoenbaum M. Benzodiazepine use in the United States. JAMA Psychiatry. 2015;72:136-142.
10. Tampi RR, Tampi DJ, Durning M. Substance use disorders in late life: a review of current evidence. Healthy Aging Res. 2015;30:4:27.
11. SAMHSA, US Department of Health and Human Services. Substance Abuse Among Older Adults: Treatment Improvement Protocol Series 26. DHHS Publication No. (SMA) 98-3179;, 1998.
12. Menninger JA. Assessment and treatment of alcoholism and substance-related disorders in the elderly. Bull Menninger Clin. 2002;66(2):166-183.
13. Tampi RR, Chhatlani A, Ahmad H, et al. Substance use disorders among older adults: a review of randomized controlled pharmacotherapy trials. World J Psychiatry. 2019;9:78-82.
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