Patterns of Prescription Opioid Abuse and Comorbidity in an Aging Treatment Population

Author(s)

Theodore J. Cicero, Washington University in St. LouisFollow
Hilary L. Surratt, Nova Southeastern UniversityFollow
Steven P. Kurtz, Nova Southeastern UniversityFollow
Matthew Ellis, Washington University School of Medicine in St. LouisFollow
James A Inciardi, University of Delaware

ORCID ID

0000-0002-4716-3398, 0000-0003-4027-7840

ResearcherID

K-3072-2014, H-3010-2014

Publication Title

Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment

ISSN

0740-5472

Publication Date

1-1-2012

Abstract

Very little is known about the impact of age and gender on drug abuse treatment needs. To examine this, we recruited 2,573 opioid-dependent patients, aged from 18 to 75 years, entering treatment across the country from 2008 to 2010 to complete a self-administered survey examining drug use histories and the extent of comorbid psychiatric and physical disorders. Moderate to very severe pain and psychiatric disorders, including polysubstance abuse, were present in a significant fraction of 18- to 24-year-olds, but their severity grew exponentially as a function of age: 75% of those older than 45 years had debilitating pain and psychiatric problems. Women had more pain than men and much worse psychiatric issues in all age groups. Our results indicate that a "one-size-fits-all" approach to prevention, intervention, and treatment of opioid abuse that ignores the shifting needs of opioid-abusing men and women as they age is destined to fail.

DOI

10.1016/j.jsat.2011.07.003

Volume

42

Issue

1

First Page

87

Last Page

94

NSUWorks Citation

Cicero, T. J., Surratt, H. L., Kurtz, S. P., Ellis, M., & Inciardi, J. (2012). Patterns of Prescription Opioid Abuse and Comorbidity in an Aging Treatment Population. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 42 (1), 87-94. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsat.2011.07.003