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Cited by 98Substance Abuse Treatment and OutcomesOpioid Use Disorder TreatmentPsychotherapy Techniques and Applications

A Review of Existing Treatments for Substance abuse among the Elderly and Recommendations for Future Directions

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Kuerbis, Alexis, Sacco, Paul·2013·Substance Abuse: Research and Treatment
DOI 10.4137/sart.s7865PMC PMC3583444
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Abstract

Background: With population aging, there is widespread recognition that the healthcare system must be prepared to serve the unique needs of substance using older adults (OA) in the decades ahead. As such, there is an increasingly urgent need to identify efficient and effective substance abuse treatments (SAT) for OA. Despite this need, there remains a surprising dearth of research on treatment for OA. Aims of review: This review describes and evaluates studies on SAT applied to and specifically designed for OA over the last 30 years with an emphasis on methodologies used and the knowledge gained. Methods: Using three research databases, 25 studies published in the last 30 years which investigated the impact of SAT on OA and met specific selection criteria were reviewed. Results: A majority of the studies were methodologically limited in that they were pre-to-post or post-test only studies. Of the randomized controlled trials, many were limited by sample sizes of 15 individuals or less per group, making main effects difficult to detect. Thus, with caution, the literature suggests that among treatment seeking OA, treatment, whether age-specific or mixed-age, generally works yielding rates of abstinence comparable to general populations and younger cohorts. It also appears that with greater treatment exposure (higher dosage), regardless of level of care, OA do better. Finally, based on only two studies, age-specific treatment appears to potentiate treatment effects for OA. Like younger adults, OA appear to have a heterogeneous response to treatments, and preliminary evidence suggests a possibility of treatment matching for OA. Conclusions: Expansion of research on SAT for OA is urgently needed for maximum effectiveness and efficiency of the healthcare system serving these individuals. Future research needs to include laboratory and community based randomized controlled trials with high internal validity of previously vetted evidenced-based practices, including Motivational Interviewing, cognitive behavioral therapy, and medications such as naltrexone, to determine the best fit for OA.

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  1. [55]Barry KL Oslin DW Blow FC Alcohol Problems in Older Adults New York Springer Publishing Company 2001

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Authors
Kuerbis, A., & Sacco, P.
Affiliations
  • Columbia University Irving Medical Center (US)
  • University of Maryland, School of Social Work.
Corresponding author
Kuerbis, Alexis
ORCID
Venue
Substance Abuse: Research and Treatment
Publisher
SAGE Publications
Published
2013-01
Volume
7
Pages
13-37
ISSN
1178-2218 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.4137/sart.s7865
PMC
PMC3583444
OpenAlex
W2162087584
Cited by
98
References
91
Citations by year
2026: 3 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 12 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 11 · 2016: 10 · 2015: 7 · 2014: 9 · 2013: 1
FWCI
6.57
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Substance Abuse Research and Treatment (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
  • Columbia Academic Commons (Columbia University)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Opioid Use Disorder Treatment
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychotherapy Techniques and Applications
Keywords
addiction treatment, older adults, age-specific treatment, treatment response heterogeneity, treatment matching, abstinence rates, treatment dosage, randomized controlled trials, population aging, motivational interviewing, cognitive behavioral therapy, naltrexone, evidence-based practice

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