Sections
Alcohol and Drug Problems: Introduction | Guidelines and Classification: A Spectrum of Use | Epidemiology of Late-Life Substance Use | Correlates and Consequences of Substance Use Problems | Screening and Diagnosis of Substance Use Problems | Treatments for Substance Use Problems | Medical and Psychiatric Comorbidity | Future Directions | Key Points | References | Suggested Readings
Excerpt
Alcohol and drug misuse are associated with
a wide array of negative physical and mental health outcomes that
are exacerbated with advancing age, such as functional and cognitive
decline, compromised immune function, and depression. Yet relatively
little work has examined the correlates and consequences of substance
use among older adults. Accordingly, substance misuse in later life,
which encompasses alcohol and illicit, prescription, and over-the-counter
drugs, has been called an "invisible epidemic" (Widlitz and Marin 2002). Epidemiological work, which has focused
on younger populations, demonstrates that beginning in the mid to
late 20s, overall rates of alcohol and illicit drug use begin to
decline, with the majority of older adults reporting no substance
use. Nevertheless, changes in demographic and cohort trends suggest
that substance misuse in later life is a pressing public health
matter and that older adults represent a group in growing need of
specialized substance treatment programs and services (Gfroerer et al. 2003).