Structural Antecedents of Psychoactive Drug Use Among the Elderly

Abstract

Current literature on the over use of psychoactive drugs by elderly people suggests that alienation, poverty, rolelessness and lack of drug experience in earlier life are principal causes. But these are mainly empirical observations which have not been ordered into any theoretical framework. In proposing the applicability of the concept of ‘internal colonialism’ as a mode of explanation, the paper presents a survey of drug use prevalence as a basis for later conceptual analysis. It is concluded that drug misuse is an institutionalized response which perpetuates dependency.

Comparing Sources of Drug Data about the Elderly

“…Since the elderly are more likely to use such drugs in a continuous rather than an episodic pattern, 19–22 the length of the window is not likely to explain the disagreement. Since the use of psychotropic drugs by the elderly is a recognized problem, 23–26 the lack of agreement and the possible reasons for it require further investigation.…”

Human geography and questions for social work education

“…Conversely, social workers tend to see their health colleagues as sometimes placing too much confidence in a putative 'medical model' and consequently 'knowing what is best' for individual service users (Bircher, 2000;Oliver & Sapey, 1999). They point to the provisional and apparently changing nature of the health advice given out by community medicine practitioners as evidence of the misplaced confidence of health colleagues, and more recently they question the power of the Pharmaceutical industry and its role in the determination of medical practice with service users (Green, 1982;Phillipson, 1989;Law, 2006). Finally, Social workers have an incipient fear that their job is being taken over by the medical model (Carey, 2003;Butler & Drakeford, 2005).…”