Drinking alcohol for medicinal purposes by people aged over 75: a community-based interview study

Aira, Marja; Hartikainen, Sirpa; Sulkava, Raimo

doi:10.1093/fampra/cmn065

Cited by 50 publications

(55 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…Results of these two longitudinal studies of pain and drinking behavior, together with those of Bobo et al (2013), run counter to the “alcohol self-medication hypothesis” (Aira et al, 2008; Ilgen et al, 2010), which predicts that more pain experienced in late-middle-age might presage growth in amount and frequency of alcohol consumption over the next several years. Bobo and colleagues (2013) suggest that older adults’ elevated analgesic and general medication use may account for the association between pain and reduced use of alcohol in later life.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 80%

“…Moreover, higher pain levels are associated with more self-reported use of alcohol to manage pain (Brennan, Schutte, & Moos, 2005; Riley & King, 2009). The “alcohol self-medication hypothesis” has been cited to explain these findings (Aira, Hatikainen, & Sulkava, 2008; Ilgen, Perron, Czyz, McCammon, & Trafton, 2010). It suggests that individuals in pain consume alcohol in larger quantities, and more often, to dispel pain-related discomfort.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Pain and Use of Alcohol in Later Life

Brennan

SooHoo

2013

J Aging Health

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Objective To determine whether (a) late-life pain predicts growth in older adults’ use of alcohol, and elevated risk of drinking problems; and (b) sociodemographic characteristics moderate these relationships. Method Five times over an 8-year interval, N = 5,446 Health and Retirement Study (HRS) participants provided information about their pain and alcohol use. Two-part latent growth modeling and logistic regression were used to analyze these data. Results Participants with more pain at baseline had lower initial levels and a faster rate of decline over the next 8 years in alcohol consumption, but they also were at elevated risk of having drinking problems. Income and African American background interacted with pain to predict 8-year change in alcohol consumption and presence of drinking problems. Discussion Late-life pain does not predict growth in older adults’ alcohol consumption, but is nonetheless linked to elevated risk of drinking problems, especially among African Americans.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 80%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pain and Use of Alcohol in Later Life

Brennan

SooHoo

2013

J Aging Health

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“…The association between substance use and MH problems is likely to be bilateral: heavy alcohol use, illicit drug use, and tobacco use may have contributed to or exacerbated serious MH problems in late life, and older adults may have used these substances to self-medicate MH problems. [26][27][28]32 Among boomers, both lifetime abstention and drinking 100 þ days were associated with lower (not higher) odds of MH problems. Drinking 100 þ days was also associated with a lower MH problem rate in the 65 þ age group in bivariate, but not multivariate, analyses.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Alcohol and other substance use, mental health treatment use, and perceived unmet treatment need: Comparison between baby boomers and older adults

2015

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“…pain), and older adults with mental/ medical conditions are likely to receive and use prescribed psychoactive medications (opioids, benzodiazepines) that may further increase the chance of nonmedical use or addiction. 14,51,53 Further, treatment encounters data from admissions to emergency departments (ED) of non-Federal hospitals (Drug Abuse Warning Network) and substance abuse treatment facilities that received public funding (TEDS) indicate an increased trend in drug-related admissions among older adults. Between 2004 and 2009, ED visits involving pharmacological use or misuse (e.g.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Substance use disorders and psychiatric comorbidity in mid and later life: a review

Blazer

2013

International Journal of Epidemiology

121

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Background Globally, adults aged 65 years or older will increase from 516 million in 2009 to an estimated 1.53 billion in 2050. Due to substance use at earlier ages that may continue into later life, and ageingrelated changes in medical conditions, older substance users are at risk for substance-related consequences.Methods MEDLINE and PsychInfo databases were searched using keywords: alcohol use disorder, drug use disorder, drug misuse, substance use disorder, prescription drug abuse, and substance abuse. Using the related-articles link, additional articles were screened for inclusion. This review focused on original studies published between 2005 and 2013 to reflect recent trends in substance use disorders. Studies on psychiatric comorbidity were also reviewed to inform treatment needs for older adults with a substance use disorder. ResultsAmong community non-institutionalized adults aged 50þ years, about 60% used alcohol, 3% used illicit drugs and 1-2% used nonmedical prescription drugs in the past year. Among adults aged 50þ, about 5% of men and 1.4% of women had a past-year alcohol use disorder. Among alcohol users, about one in 14 users aged 50-64 had a past-year alcohol use disorder vs one in 30 elder users aged 65þ. Among drug users aged 50þ, approximately 10-12% had a drug use disorder. Similar to depressive and anxiety disorders, substance use disorders were among the common psychiatric disorders among older adults. Older drug users in methadone maintenance treatment exhibited multiple psychiatric or medical conditions. There have been increases in treatment admissions for illicit and prescription drug problems in the United States.Conclusions Substance use in late life requires surveillance and research, including tracking substance use in the racial/ethnic populations and developing effective care models to address comorbid medical and mental health problems.

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Drinking alcohol for medicinal purposes by people aged over 75: a community-based interview study

Cited by 50 publications

References 18 publications

Pain and Use of Alcohol in Later Life

Pain and Use of Alcohol in Later Life

Alcohol and other substance use, mental health treatment use, and perceived unmet treatment need: Comparison between baby boomers and older adults

Substance use disorders and psychiatric comorbidity in mid and later life: a review

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