Substance use among older adults: a review of the literature

Objectives To explore studies that have examined the effectiveness of possible interventions to reduce the substance use among older adults. Methods From the search, 295 abstracts were identified and 200 were excluded. Ninety-five remaining articles were reviewed, and 90 were excluded after full text review. Nine articles were included after reviewing bibliographic references on the topic. A total of 14 articles, which all met the inclusion criteria, were considered in the review. Results All 14 studies found that pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions can reduce substance use (alcohol, cocaine, nicotine and benzodiazepines) among older adults (mean age 45 years or older). Conclusions There are promising possibly pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions that can be used to reduce substance use among older adults. In addition, other studies are needed to expand the therapeutic arsenal in this population.