TY - JOUR
T1 - Patterns of prescription opioid abuse and comorbidity in an aging treatment population
AU - Cicero, Theodore J.
AU - Surratt, Hilary L.
AU - Kurtz, Steven
AU - Ellis, M. S.
AU - Inciardi, James A.
N1 - Funding Information:
Sources of funding: Supported in part by National Institute on Drug Abuse Grants DA020791 , DA 21330 (TJC) , and DA21330 (SK) and an unrestricted research grant from Denver Health and Hospital Authority .
PY - 2012/1
Y1 - 2012/1
N2 - Very little is known about the impact of age and gender on drug abuse treatment needs. To examine this, we recruited 2,573 opioid-dependent patients, aged from 18 to 75 years, entering treatment across the country from 2008 to 2010 to complete a self-administered survey examining drug use histories and the extent of comorbid psychiatric and physical disorders. Moderate to very severe pain and psychiatric disorders, including polysubstance abuse, were present in a significant fraction of 18- to 24-year-olds, but their severity grew exponentially as a function of age: 75% of those older than 45 years had debilitating pain and psychiatric problems. Women had more pain than men and much worse psychiatric issues in all age groups. Our results indicate that a "one-size-fits-all" approach to prevention, intervention, and treatment of opioid abuse that ignores the shifting needs of opioid-abusing men and women as they age is destined to fail.
AB - Very little is known about the impact of age and gender on drug abuse treatment needs. To examine this, we recruited 2,573 opioid-dependent patients, aged from 18 to 75 years, entering treatment across the country from 2008 to 2010 to complete a self-administered survey examining drug use histories and the extent of comorbid psychiatric and physical disorders. Moderate to very severe pain and psychiatric disorders, including polysubstance abuse, were present in a significant fraction of 18- to 24-year-olds, but their severity grew exponentially as a function of age: 75% of those older than 45 years had debilitating pain and psychiatric problems. Women had more pain than men and much worse psychiatric issues in all age groups. Our results indicate that a "one-size-fits-all" approach to prevention, intervention, and treatment of opioid abuse that ignores the shifting needs of opioid-abusing men and women as they age is destined to fail.
KW - Age and gender influences on opioid treatment
KW - Age-related changes in treatment needs
KW - Opioid abuse
KW - Opioid treatment centers
KW - Prescription drug abuse
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=82455212940&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jsat.2011.07.003
DO - 10.1016/j.jsat.2011.07.003
M3 - Article
C2 - 21831562
AN - SCOPUS:82455212940
SN - 0740-5472
VL - 42
SP - 87
EP - 94
JO - Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment
JF - Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment
IS - 1
ER -