This new annual themed issue of Advances in Dual Diagnosis will focus on issues surrounding dual diagnosis in older adults in order to improve assessment intervention, treatment and care of older adults with dual diagnosis from both public health and clinical perspectives.

Topics covered include (but are not limited to):

• Epidemiology and demography
• Prevention and early intervention
• Psychology
• Sociology, culture and ethnicity
• Physical health and frailty
• Treatment and recovery
• Expert opinion (commentaries, personal views from experts by experience)
• Best practice (models of care...

The Drink Wise, Age Well programme was delivered over five years from 2015 to 2020 in five intervention areas across the UK.

The project had 4 objectives:

1. To raise awareness of the issue of alcohol misuse among people over 50, change attitudes, reduce stigma, convey harm reduction messages and influence community norms about the use of alcohol.
2. To increase individual and community resilience to alcohol problems in people over 50 and to reduce hazardous, harmful and dependent drinking and related harm in this age group.
3. To increase the extent to which community service providers and...

The Drink Wise, Age Well programme supported people to make healthier choices about alcohol as they age.

The programme was designed to change attitudes, combat stigma and reduce alcohol harm in the over 50s so they can live longer, healthier lives.

To achieve this, the programme focused on four outcomes:

• Raising awareness and changing attitudes about alcohol use in people over 50, influencing community norms about the use of alcohol
• Increasing individual and community resilience in people over 50, reducing alcohol-related harm in this age group
• Helping community service providers and...

This guide, published by the Royal College of Psychiatrists, provides an in depth account of treatment of substance misuse among older adults.

Contents

Part 1

Initial assessment of substance misuse in older people 

Psychosocial interventions for substance misuse in older people

Families and carers 

Legal, ethical and practical considerations 

Part 2

The emergency physical presentation 

The emergency psychiatric presentation 

Management in the community 

Alcohol-related brain damage 

Recovery 

Older women and alcohol misuse 

Drug–drug interactions in older people 

Driving and...

Substance use disorder (SUD) is a growing issue in adults aged 65 and older in the United States. Older adults are more likely to take prescription medications and experience chronic health problems associated with aging, including chronic pain. These factors, as well as stressors such as grief and loss of independence, may contribute to substance misuse and complicate SUD treatment in older adults. 

NIDA has gathered a selection of resources examining substance use amount older adults.

Substance Use in Older Adults DrugFacts

Saving a “Lost Generation”: The Need to Prevent Drug and Alcohol...

This factsheet reviews the special problems relating to the detection and treatment of older people with a history of substance misuse and those who are still using substances.

The fact sheet includes a selection of case studies, example questions to ask during assessments, and an overview of treatment options.

This presentation covered the results of a systematic literature review that sought to assess the existing evidence for interventions with people experiencing problematic substance use in later life.

Both Dr Hafford-Letchfield and Ms McQuarrie emphasised that while problematic substance use, especially in social work and social care settings, can be an over-looked or mis-diagnosed problem, older people respond well to interventions, if they are given the right support.

Publication

This guide assists providers in offering treatment to women living with substance use disorders. It reviews gender-specific research and best practices, such as common patterns of initial use and specific treatment issues and strategies.

Abstract

Background

Harmful alcohol consumption in older people has increased and effective approaches to understanding and addressing this societal concern are needed.

Methods

Systematic review of qualitative studies in older populations (55+ years) to identify barriers, facilitators or context of drinking in older people. Multiple databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, CENTRAL, Social Sciences Citation Index, York Centre for Reviews and Dissemination, Cochrane database and grey literature) were searched from 2000 to February 2017 for studies in English, from OECD countries using...