Home > Community based interventions for problematic substance use in later life: a systematic review of evaluated studies and their outcomes.

Hafford-Letchfield, Trish and McQuarrie, Tricia and Clancy, Carmel and Thom, Betsy and Jain, Briony (2020) Community based interventions for problematic substance use in later life: a systematic review of evaluated studies and their outcomes. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17, (21), 7994. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17217994.

External website: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/21/7994

Problematic substance use (PSU) in later life is a growing global problem of significant concern in tandem with a rapidly ageing global population. Prevention and interventions specifically designed for older people are not common, and those designed for mixed-age groups may fail to address the unique and sometimes complex needs of ageing communities. We report findings from a systematic review of the empirical evidence from studies which formally evaluated interventions used with older people and reported their outcomes. Nineteen studies were included, of which thirteen focused solely on alcohol-related problems. Eight interventions utilised different types of screening, brief advice and education. The remaining drew on behavioural, narrative and integrated or multi-disciplinary approaches, which aimed to meet older people's needs holistically. Quality assessment of study design helped to review evaluation practice. Findings point to recommendations for sustainable and well-designed intervention strategies for PSU in later life, which purposefully align with other areas of health and well-being and are delivered in locations where older people normally seek, or receive, help. There is further scope for engagement with older people's own perspectives on their needs and help-seeking behaviours. Economic evaluation of the outcome of interventions would also be useful to establish the value of investing in targeted services to this underserved population.


Item Type
Article
Publication Type
International, Open Access, Review
Drug Type
All substances
Intervention Type
Drug therapy, Treatment method, Psychosocial treatment method, Rehabilitation/Recovery
Date
30 October 2020
Identification #
https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17217994
Publisher
MDPI
Volume
17
Number
21
EndNote

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