Substance Abuse Amongst the Elderly

Substance Abuse Amongst the Elderly Alcohol and Substance Abuse Amongst the Elderly

One of the difficulties in conducting research on the issue of substance abuse amongst the elderly is the fact that individuals often deny their alcohol addictions. Even if not in denial, they may be embarrassed to speak about the problem to a researcher. The definition of alcoholism may vary in the eyes of prospective subjects. To ensure that a medically-validated condition of alcoholism exists, the best way to obtain a study population would be to contact substance abuse clinics and ask to interview residents, as voluntary participants. All evidence would be kept confidential, of course. The study design would take the form of focus groups, to allow for a more subjective picture of the disease of alcoholism.

Q2. 1. Why do you consider yourself an alcoholic? 2. When did you realize alcohol was a problem in your life? 3. Is this the first time you have sought treatment for alcoholism? 4. How old were you when you began abusing alcohol? 5. Did alcohol become more or less of a problem after a life-changing event? 6. How do your loved ones feel about your alcohol use? 7. Have you become better or less equipped to cope with alcoholism as you have aged? 8. What other (licit and illicit) drugs have you abused in your life? 9. Did your abuse of other drugs coincide, predate, or come after your alcohol abuse? 10. At what stage of the recovery process are you currently in?

Q3. A number of different treatment centers (both public and private) would be selected. Their directors would be contacted and asked if patients currently undergoing treatment could participate in a study. A representative sampling of different age groups would be examined from each participating facility, and their responses would be compared. Participants would be asked to volunteer to contribute to the understanding of the illness of alcoholism.

Q4. Participants at treatment facilities might be disproportionately affluent and white, given that historically, individuals of color suffering from addictions have more often been relegated to prisons, rather than received support and assistance. Public as well as private treatment facilities may need to be compared, to ensure a more representative sampling.

Part B:

Article:

Benshoff, John J., Laura K. Harrawood, & Darwin Shane Koch. (2003, April-June). Substance

abuse and the elderly: unique issues and concerns. Journal of Rehabilitation. 69.

In this study, the authors used a literature review format to examine a variety of previous studies of substance abuse amongst the elderly. In general, while individuals tend to age out of illicit drug use, alcohol abuse remains a risk throughout an individual's lifespan, given the lack of social and cultural taboos. Broad-ranging studies have found that alcohol abuse amongst the elderly is a silent epidemic, and both late and early-onset alcoholism exists, although late onset alcoholics tend to exhibit fewer signs of psychological trauma and physical complaints than early-onset abusers. However, for all groups, because of the lower muscle-to-fat ratios of aging individuals, alcohol abuse can have a more negative impact upon the sufferer. Late onset users typically abuse alcohol after a traumatic life event, such as retirement and/or a death of a spouse, although it is unclear if the change in life circumstances causes the alcoholism, or makes it easier for the individual to indulge in alcoholic behavior without notice.