Predictors of Alcohol‐Treatment Seeking in a Sample of Older Veterans in the GET SMART Program

Abstract

The model examined shows utility in predicting alcohol-treatment seeking in this sample. Age-related factors may deter treatment seeking by older male medical inpatients.

College students rarely seek help despite serious substance use problems

“…Prior studies of help-seeking for either substance abuse or mental health treatment have primarily focused on substance-abusing adults in the general population (Brennan, Moos, & Mertens, 1994; Kaskutas, Weisner, & Caetano, 1997; Kessler et al, 2001), arrestees and young offenders (Lennings, Kenny, & Nelson, 2006; Warner & Leukefeld, 2001), and clinical treatment samples (Cahill, Adinoff, Hosig, Muller, & Pulliam, 2003; Satre, Knight, Dickson-Fuhrmann, & Jarvik, 2003). For developmental reasons, young-adult substance abusers represent a distinct special population, and when they attend college they are further distinguished by the unique combination of social, cultural, and environmental contexts associated with college life.…”

Treatment of Substance Use Disorders in Older Adults: Implications for Care Delivery

“…Barriers to systematic healthcare screenings include cost and allocation of physician time, but healthcare team involvement and better detection instruments can improve outcomes and may actually save money nationally . For example, older adults who had higher scores on a proven detection instrument in a medical setting were more likely to initiate treatment . Once screened and identified, the critical question is whether older adults have different outcomes based on referrals.…”

“…For instance, adults aged 65 and older are less likely to view SUD symptoms as motivating factors to seek treatment than their younger counterparts. 9,10 In addition, when older adults present in medical settings, the at-risk drinkers overwhelmingly report never receiving treatment. 11 At-risk drinking can be defined as more than fourthree drinks in a single day and more than 14 per week for men and more than three drinks in a single day and more than seven per week for women.…”

Initiation and engagement as mechanisms for change caused by collaborative care in opioid and alcohol use disorders

“…Future research should examine patient and provider factors associated with OAUD treatment initiation. In this regard, the Andersen model of the determinants of treatment utilization (Andersen and Newman, 1973) may provide a useful framework, with its conceptualization of predisposing patient characteristics; enabling factors, such as patient resources and illness severity; and characteristics of the healthcare organization as being important contributors to treatment utilization (Dhingra et al, 2010; Satre et al, 2003). …”