[Prescription drug abuse in elderly psychiatric patients].
OBJECTIVE
Due to demographic changes there will be a fraction of elderly patients with substance use disorders. However, only a few data have been published about elderly abusers of prescription drugs. Since substance abuse is frequently comorbid with psychiatric disorders, treatment in a psychiatric hospital is often needed. In this explorative study elderly people with prescription drug abuse who required psychiatric inpatient treatment should be characterized.


METHODS
This study was part of the gerontopsychiatry study Berlin (Gepsy-B), an investigation of the data of all older inpatients (≥ 65 years) admitted to a psychiatric hospital within a period of 3 years.


RESULTS
Among 1266 documented admissions in 110 cases (8.7 %) (mean age: 75.7 ± 7.1 years) prescription drug abuse, mostly of benzodiazepines was diagnosed. Females showed benzodiazepine abuse more often than males. In only a small proportion of the cases the reason for admission was withdrawal of prescribed drugs. 85.5 % suffered from psychiatric comorbidity, mostly depression. As risk factors for abuse depressive symptoms (OR: 3.32) as well as concurrent nicotine (OR: 2.69) or alcohol abuse (OR: 2.14) were calculated.


CONCLUSIONS
Psychiatric inpatient treatment was primarily not necessary because of prescription drug abuse but because of other psychopathological symptoms.
Klinik für Psychiatrie, Psychotherapie und Psychosomatik, Vivantes Klinikum Hellersdorf, Berlin. tilman.wetterling@vivantes.de
Tilman
T
Wetterling
Barbara
B
Schneider
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000700:Analgesics; D001569:Benzodiazepines; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006306:Health Surveys; D006778:Hospitals, Psychiatric; D006801:Humans; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D038801:International Classification of Diseases; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055553:Prescription Drugs; D012737:Sex Factors; D012931:Social Environment; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology; D000092864:Suicide Prevention
D000700:Analgesics; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D055553:Prescription Drugs; D001569:Benzodiazepines