IFT Institut für Therapieforschung, Leopoldstr. 175, 80804, Munich, Germany.
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Nußbaumstr. 7, 80336, Munich, Germany.
Subst Abuse Treat Prev Policy. 2018 Nov 6;13(1):40. doi: 10.1186/s13011-018-0176-z.
In western countries demographic changes are leading to an ageing society. Consequently, the number of older adults with alcohol use disorders (AUDs) will rise and the demand of treatment is likely to increase. However, thus far not many older adults with an AUD are seeking treatment and little is known about the efficacy of treatment for older adults. The present study aimed at determining the proportion of older adults with an AUD in addiction treatment, particular characteristics and treatment outcomes of this clientele.
Using data of 10,860 patients with an AUD aged 60 and over that are documented within the national German addiction care system we conducted exploratory analyses with regard to prevalence, sociodemographic, disorder- and treatment-related variables.
Overall, we found a low proportion of older patients in treatment due to AUDs, but highly positive treatment outcomes. With regard to sociodemographic and disorder-related characteristics, older females and late-onset patients in particular constitute a unique clientele.
The low service utilisation on the one hand but good treatment prognosis on the other emphasise the need to promote treatment seeking among older adults with AUDs. In this context, the special characteristics we found among older patients may contribute to better reach this population and to improve provisions of targeted treatment approaches.
在西方国家，人口结构变化导致了老龄化社会的出现。因此，患有酒精使用障碍（AUD）的老年人数量将会增加，治疗需求可能会增加。然而，迄今为止，只有少数患有 AUD 的老年人在寻求治疗，对于老年人的治疗效果知之甚少。本研究旨在确定在成瘾治疗中患有 AUD 的老年人的比例，以及该人群的特定特征和治疗结果。
我们使用德国国家成瘾护理系统中记录的年龄在 60 岁及以上、患有 AUD 的 10860 名患者的数据，对患病率、社会人口统计学、疾病和治疗相关变量进行了探索性分析。
总体而言，我们发现患有 AUD 的老年患者接受治疗的比例较低，但治疗效果非常好。在社会人口统计学和疾病相关特征方面，女性和发病较晚的老年患者尤其构成了一个独特的群体。
一方面是服务利用率低，另一方面是治疗预后良好，这强调了需要促进患有 AUD 的老年人寻求治疗。在这方面，我们在老年患者中发现的特殊特征可能有助于更好地接触到这一人群，并改善针对性治疗方法的提供。
