Abstract
The purpose of the current study was to examine differences in responses of older adults (age 55 and above) and younger adults (ages 18 to 54) to the Drug Abuse Problem Assessment for Primary Care (DAPA-PC), a computerized drug and alcohol abuse screening instrument developed for primary care settings. Data were collected from a diverse population of 327 adults presenting for care at The George Washington University Medical Faculty Associates clinic in downtown Washington, DC. Results indicated that rates of drug and alcohol abuse were similar in both groups. However, older adults were less likely than younger adults to perceive their drug use as problematic. This finding has serious implications for older adults, who tend to be underrepresented in treatment programs. There is a need for screening seniors and identifying those who may be at risk for substance abuse problems. Differences in responses to alcohol and drug assessments by age should be taken into consideration when designing screening instruments. The results of this study suggest that the DAPA-PC would provide a useful instrument for screening older adults in a primary care setting.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 627-642 |
| Number of pages | 16 |
| Journal | American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse |
| Volume | 30 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Nov 9 2004 |
Fingerprint
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Medicine (miscellaneous)
- Clinical Psychology
- Psychiatry and Mental health
Cite this
}
Computerized screening of substance abuse problems in a primary care setting : Older vs. younger adults. / Nemes, Susanna; Rao, Patricia A.; Zeiler, Christine; Munly, Kelly; Holtz, Kristen D.; Hoffman, Jeffrey.
In: American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, Vol. 30, No. 3, 09.11.2004, p. 627-642.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
TY - JOUR
T1 - Computerized screening of substance abuse problems in a primary care setting
T2 - Older vs. younger adults
AU - Nemes, Susanna
AU - Rao, Patricia A.
AU - Zeiler, Christine
AU - Munly, Kelly
AU - Holtz, Kristen D.
AU - Hoffman, Jeffrey
PY - 2004/11/9
Y1 - 2004/11/9
N2 - The purpose of the current study was to examine differences in responses of older adults (age 55 and above) and younger adults (ages 18 to 54) to the Drug Abuse Problem Assessment for Primary Care (DAPA-PC), a computerized drug and alcohol abuse screening instrument developed for primary care settings. Data were collected from a diverse population of 327 adults presenting for care at The George Washington University Medical Faculty Associates clinic in downtown Washington, DC. Results indicated that rates of drug and alcohol abuse were similar in both groups. However, older adults were less likely than younger adults to perceive their drug use as problematic. This finding has serious implications for older adults, who tend to be underrepresented in treatment programs. There is a need for screening seniors and identifying those who may be at risk for substance abuse problems. Differences in responses to alcohol and drug assessments by age should be taken into consideration when designing screening instruments. The results of this study suggest that the DAPA-PC would provide a useful instrument for screening older adults in a primary care setting.
AB - The purpose of the current study was to examine differences in responses of older adults (age 55 and above) and younger adults (ages 18 to 54) to the Drug Abuse Problem Assessment for Primary Care (DAPA-PC), a computerized drug and alcohol abuse screening instrument developed for primary care settings. Data were collected from a diverse population of 327 adults presenting for care at The George Washington University Medical Faculty Associates clinic in downtown Washington, DC. Results indicated that rates of drug and alcohol abuse were similar in both groups. However, older adults were less likely than younger adults to perceive their drug use as problematic. This finding has serious implications for older adults, who tend to be underrepresented in treatment programs. There is a need for screening seniors and identifying those who may be at risk for substance abuse problems. Differences in responses to alcohol and drug assessments by age should be taken into consideration when designing screening instruments. The results of this study suggest that the DAPA-PC would provide a useful instrument for screening older adults in a primary care setting.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=7244223195&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=7244223195&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1081/ADA-200032312
DO - 10.1081/ADA-200032312
M3 - Article
C2 - 15540497
AN - SCOPUS:7244223195
VL - 30
SP - 627
EP - 642
JO - American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse
JF - American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse
SN - 0095-2990
IS - 3
ER -