Advisory

Alcohol is Cause of Almost Half of All Treatment Admissions for Older Adults

Almost half of the admissions to substance abuse treatment among people age 50 and up were specifically for alcohol abuse (48 percent of 164,000 admissions in 2003). Men accounted for four of every five (80%) of these alcohol-specific admissions. These findings were released today in a report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) from continued analysis of the 2003 Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS).

The report, “Older Adult Alcohol Admissions: 2003”, notes that older adults, age 50 and up, admitted to substance abuse treatment solely for alcohol abuse were more likely to be first-time treatment participants than were persons admitted for other reasons (45 percent versus 33 percent). They were less likely to have personally sought treatment than were older adults admitted for treatment of other substance abuse (37 percent versus 45 percent). However, older adults admitted for alcohol treatment were more likely to have been referred for care by the criminal justice system (29 percent versus 21 percent).

“Alcohol abuse among older adults is something few want to talk about, and a problem for which even fewer seek treatment on their own,” said SAMHSA Administrator Charles Curie. “Too often, family members are ashamed of the problem and choose not to address it. Health care providers tend not to ask older patients about alcohol abuse if it wasn’t a problem in their lives in earlier years. That may help explain why so many of the alcohol-related admissions to treatment among older adults are for first-time treatment, even though we know that treatment works well at every age.”

TEDS collects data on the approximately 1.8 million annual admissions to substance abuse treatment facilities, primarily those that receive some public funding. The report is available on the web at www.oas.samhsa.gov. More information about aging, alcohol and drugs can be found at http://asyouage.samhsa.gov.

SAMHSA, is a public health agency within the Department of Health and Human Services. The agency is responsible for improving the accountability, capacity and effectiveness of the nation’s substance abuse prevention, addictions, treatment, and mental health services delivery system.

SAMHSA is An Agency of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Service