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home / 世界杯决赛2022

rate of substance use treatment among baby boomers on the rise

“as members of this generation enter older adulthood, the numbers of older adults seeking treatment for substance abuse has also increased"

by angela stelmakowich

mar 29 2022
read time 3 minute read
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in a bit of a twist, a new u.s. study shows that baby boomers have witnessed a sharp rise in the rate of substance use treatment while the experience among younger adults has remained more stable.

the number and proportion of older adults — baby boomers were born from 1946 to 1964 — admitted to substance use disorder (sud) treatment facilities rose substantially between 2000 and 2017, notes the study published this week in the journal of clinical psychiatry .

the increase was “associated with changes in both population numbers and patient characteristics, especially a relative rise among older adults in cocaine/crack and cannabis use and a relative decrease for use of alcohol and opioids,” note researchers from the university of connecticut health (uconn health).
study authors note that although sud among older adults is rising, little has been documented about recent increases in admissions to treatment facilities.
to get a clearer picture, researchers used u.s.-wide data on annual admissions to sud treatment facilities from 2000 to 2001 and from 2016 to 2017. numbers for adults 55 and older were then compared to individuals aged 21 to 54.

stark difference in rate rise between older and younger adults

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the comparison highlighted a stark difference. the number of older adults admitted to sud treatment facilities skyrocketed 203.7 per cent from 2000 to 2017 compared to the 13.0 per cent hike among younger adults.
with regards to specific drugs for which treatment was sought, older adults showed greater hikes relative to younger adults for use of cocaine/crack and cannabis. but there was a relative drop in admissions for opiates and alcohol.

the rate of people aged 55 or older receiving treatment for substance use increased from 8.8 per 1,000 people in 2000 to 15.1 per 1,000 people in 2017, notes a statement issued by uconn health.

“as members of this generation enter older adulthood, the numbers of older adults seeking treatment for substance abuse has also increased,” the statement reports.

reduced stigma may be fuelling increased sud treatment

the data does not offer an explanation as to why the rise is occurring, but investigators have a few thoughts. these include that the higher rate of use followed baby boomers as they aged and, perhaps, because there is less stigma currently associated with substance abuse than was the case in past, older individuals are more likely to seek help from professionals.
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that last point is supported by data indicating “the rise in substance treatment was mostly due to self-referrals, not forced referrals from the criminal justice system,” notes the statement.
greg rhee, the study’s senior author and a psychiatric epidemiologist at uconn school of medicine, believes these self-referrals, although more plentiful, should necessarily be regarded as bad since older adults are recognizing they need help.
“the population of older adults in the u.s. is growing, and so is the number who use cocaine and cannabis. we really need to think about how to best address this,” rhee maintains.

some seniors see cannabis as a means of treating health conditions

a u.s. study released in 2020 exploring cannabis use among adults 65 and older found that the prevalence of past-year cannabis use among seniors increased from 2.4 per cent to 4.2 per cent from 2015 to 2018.

the key subgroups who experienced marked increases in cannabis use included women, racial/ethnic minorities, those with higher family incomes, and those with mental health problems. “in general, it appears that the rise in cannabis use is driven largely by those who do not have multiple chronic medical conditions,” the study authors wrote.

according to strainprint technologies ltd., a toronto-headquartered company that offers services to track cannabis use and symptoms, the top reasons that patients 65 and older used medical marijuana in 2017 were to address joint pain, insomnia, stress and anxiety.

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ottawa public health cautions , however, that older adults with certain conditions should not use cannabis. these people include those with heart conditions or unstable blood pressure, cognitive impairments or problems with balance, and a history of mental health problems or substance use disorders.

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