title: Outcomes at 1 and 5 years for older patients with alcohol use disorders.
abstract: Older patients with alcohol use disorders who had gone through residential treatment were compared with matched groups of young and middle-aged patients (N = 432 in each age group) on their 1- and 5-year outcomes, use of continuing care services, and outcome predictors. Older patients had better outcomes than did young and middle-aged patients but had comparable levels of continuing substance abuse care and 12-step self-help group involvement. Similar factors predicted outcomes across the age groups. Longer duration of continuing substance abuse care and greater self-help group involvement were related to better outcomes, as were patients' attitudes and coping strategies at program discharge. The findings indicate that older patients with alcohol use disorders respond to age-integrated substance abuse treatment programs at least as well as do younger patients and are equally involved in formal and informal continuing substance abuse care.
authors.affiliation: Center for Health Care Evaluation and Program Evaluation and Resource Center (152 Palo Alto), Veterans Affairs Health Care System, 795 Willow Road, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA. sonne.lemke@med.va.gov
authors.forename: Sonne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lemke
authors.forename: Rudolf H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Moos
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D010352:Patient Dropouts; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012657:Self-Help Groups; D016896:Treatment Outcome