Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-rcrh6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-28T05:35:46.106Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Outcome of alcoholism in old age

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 June 2014

Ian Johnson
Ian Johnson*
Affiliation:
Foxbrake House, Forston Clinic, Dorchester, Dorset, DT2 9TB, England
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Objective: This retrospective study describes the follow-up of a birth cohort of alcohol dependent patients as they enter old age. The aim is to define the global outcome of survivors by combining a measure of current drinking behaviour with ratings for depression and dementia.

Methods: A series of 100 referrals to a regional unit for alcohol misuse in Bristol, England, were followed up at a mean of 13 years after first referral for treatment. Survivors were traced when they were aged between 67 and 77 years. At follow-up interview, subjects were screened for current alcohol problems, depression and dementia.

Results: The mortality rate in the cohort was raised significantly. Almost one third of survivors had depressive symptoms at follow-up and rates of global dementia were higher than expected in an aged-matched sample of the general population. However, the majority of survivors were classified as having an intermediate global outcome with less than 10% having a poor outcome.

Conclusions: The high rates of mortality and psychiatric morbidity observed in this cohort illustrate the importance of detecting alcohol problems in the elderly. Further prospective studies are necessary to validate these findings in a community sample of older people.

Keywords

AlcoholismElderlyOutcome
Type
Original Papers
Information
Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine , Volume 18 , Issue 4 , December 2001 , pp. 125 - 128
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2001

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1.Johnson, I. Alcohol problems in old age: A review of recent epidemiological research. Int J Geriat Psychiatry 2000; 15 (7): 575–81.3.0.CO;2-0>CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
2.Dunne, FJ. Misuse of alcohol or drugs by elderly people. BMJ 1994; 308: 608–9.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
3 Neve, RJM, Lemmens, PH, Drop, MJ. Older and younger male alcoholics in outpatient treatment. Addict Behav 1999; 24 (5): 661–72.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
4.Naik, PC, Jones, RG. Alcohol histories taken from elderly people on admission. BMJ 1994; 308: 248.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
5.Saunders, PA, Copeland, JR, Dewey, MEet al.Heavy drinking as a risk factor for depression and dementia in elderly men. Findings from the Liverpool longitudinal community study. Brit J Psychiat 1991; 159: 213–16.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
6.Fitzgerald, JL, Mulford, HA. Elderly versus younger problem drinker treatment and recovery experiences. Brit J Addict 1992; 87: 1281–91.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
7.Mishara, BL, Kastenbaum, R. Alcohol and old age. New York: Grune and Stratton, 1980.Google Scholar
8.Vaillant, GE. The natural history of alcoholism. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1983.Google ScholarPubMed
9.Edwards, G, Brown, D, Oppenheimer, Eet al.Long term outcome for patients with drinking problems: The search for predictors. Brit J Addict 1988; 83: 917–27.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
10.Beresford, T, Gomberg, EL. Alcohol and ageing. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1995.Google Scholar
11.Adshead, F, Day Code, D, Pitt, B. BASDEC: a novel screening instrument for depression in elderly medical inpatients. BMJ 1992; 305: 397.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
12.Blow, FC, Brower, KJ, Schulenberg, JEet al.The Michigan Alcohol Screening Test – Geriatric Version, (MAST-G): A new elderly specific screening instrument. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 1992; 16: 372.Google Scholar
13.Folstein, MF, Folstein, SE, Mc.Hugh, PR. Mini-mental state: a practical method of grading the cognitive state of patients for the clinician. J Psychiat Res 1975; 12: 189–98.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
14.Inskip, HM, Harris, EC, Barraclough, B. Lifetime risk of suicide for affective disorder, alcoholism, and schizophrenia. Brit J Psychiat 1998; 172: 35–7.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
15.Glass, IB, Jackson, P. Maudsley Hospital survey: Prevalence of alcohol problems and other psychiatric disorders in a hospital population. Brit J Addict 1988; 83(9): 1105–11.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
16.Keeler, MH, Taylor, CI, Miller, WC. Are all detoxified alcoholics depressed? Am J Psychiat 1979; 136(4B): 586–8.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
17.Ineichen, B. Measuring the rising tide. Brit J Psychiat 1987; 150: 193–200.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
18.Burns, A, Jacoby, R, Luthert, Pet al.Cause of death in Alzheimer's disease. Age Ageing 1990; 19: 341–4.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed