Substance Use, Misuse, and Abuse Among Older Adults: Implications for Clinical Mental Health Counselors

Abstract

Researchers project a threefold increase in substance abuse, inclusive of alcohol, prescription, and illicit drugs, for adults aged 50 or older by 2020, when an estimated 5 million older adults will need treatment for substance abuse problems (Gfroerer, Penne, Pemberton, & Folsom, 2003). This suggests a need for heightened awareness among clinical mental health counselors as they treat this population. This article (a) discusses the prevalence, vulnerabilities, and consequences of misuse and abuse of alcohol, prescription drugs, and illicit substances; (b) reviews age-specific counseling considerations and approaches to assessment, diagnosis, and intervention; and (c) calls for more attention to the subject in training and research.

Patterns of substance use among HIV-positive adults over 50: Implications for treatment and medication adherence

“…The investigation of multiple substances can be used to better inform intervention efforts to minimize substance use in older adults (Briggs et al, 2011), by tailoring treatments according to substance types rather than either focusing solely on a single substance (Sorocco and Ferrell, 2006), or aiming for total elimination of all substance use. The current findings may serve as the basis for innovative intervention approaches that conform to Gonzalez et al’s (2011) call for “the development of efficacious and effective ART adherence interventions that specifically address co-occurring substance use and varying levels of substance use–related impairment” (p. 230).…”

Predictors of Alcohol Use Disorders Among Baby Boomers Across the Life Course

“…Given the small number of studies that report on AUDs among baby boomers (Briggs et al, 2011), this study sought to understand patterns of AUDs among baby boomers across the life course by examining related factors at two points in time. Specifically, a set of explanatory variables from both 2010 and 1998 were obtained that best predicted AUDs among baby boomers at each of these time periods (i.e., in 1998, baby boomers ranged in age from 38 to 52 years old, and 12 years later, in 2010, baby boomers were between 50 and 64 years old).…”

“…Similarly, the life course theory can be applied to the processes that may promote and inhibit AUDs across the lifespan. However, only a handful of studies have applied this theory to substance use disorders (Briggs, Magnus, Lassiter, Patterson, & Smith, 2011). Relying on results from small-sample longitudinal studies that examined substance use, one study framed the life course trajectory of illicit drug use as involving both transition and turning-point events, which included onset, acceleration, relapse, and cessation components (Hser et al, 2007).…”

“…However, this study possessed a restricted age range (i.e., 25 to 36 years old) and did not examine patterns into older adulthood. Therefore, little continues to be known about antecedents and patterns of substance use disorders among baby boomers in general, and AUDs among baby boomers in particular (Briggs et al, 2011; Choi et al, 2014).…”

When Older Adult Substance Abuse Affects Others: What Helps and What Doesn't?

“…Having an older adult with a substance abuse problem in the family can be very difficult and challenging to CSOs. Families are likely to experience feelings of anger, fear, frustration, and embarrassment (Denning, 2010), while others may justify the problem as simply a part of the aging process (Briggs et al, 2011).…”