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by Dr Rahul Rao and Professor Ilana Crome
Last updated: June 2019
Substance use disorders in older people are a growing public health problem and are often overlooked. Although alcohol is a very commonly used substance, older people also smoke cigarettes, use prescribed medications, buy over-the-counter medication and are increasingly using illicit drugs. These substances impact on mental health, even if the effects may seem less obvious than in younger people.
Older people access many different care pathways, including liaison psychiatry and old age psychiatry services. 'Dual diagnosis’ (comorbid substance use disorders and psychiatric illness), rather than substance use disorder alone, is the commonest presentation within old age psychiatry services.
While the evidence base for the treatment of substance use disorders in older people is limited, evidence suggests that older people engage better in treatment when compared with younger people.
This module will cover the following areas:
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If you like this module, you may also be interested in:
Treating depression in later life by Professor Robert Baldwin, Dr Deepak K Sachdeva and Dr Amit Nulkar
Delirium in older people: assessment and management by Dr Santosh Bangar and Dr John Holmes
Psychiatric aspects of end-of-life care by Dr Christian Hosker and Dr Wendy Neil
Books from RCPsych Publications: Alcohol Use Disorders: The NICE Guideline on the Diagnosis, Assessment and Management of Harmful Drinking and Alcohol Dependence
Clinical Topics in Addiction Edited by Ed Day
Drug Misuse: Opioid Detoxification – The NICE Guideline. National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health (NCCMH)
Drug Misuse: Psychosocial Interventions – The NICE Guideline. National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health (NCCMH)
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