Elderly alcoholics compared to middle-aged alcoholics in outpatient treatment – 6-month follow-up

Abstract

Purpose: This study examined 6-month drinking outcomes of elderly patients compared with middle-aged patients in a clinical sample after initiation of outpatient treatment for alcoholism.

Materials and methods: In a clinical prospective cohort study, 1398 consecutive patients from a municipality outpatient alcohol clinic were included. A total of 208 elderly patients aged from 60 to 82 years and 1190 middle-aged patients from 40 to 59 years participated in the study. The following psychosocial treatment interventions were offered: cognitive behavioral therapy, family therapy and supportive consultations. Using an ‘intention-to-treat’ method, primary outcomes included drinking outcomes (self-reported abstinence rates, drinking 3 drinks or less per day, and change in Addiction Severity Index [ASI] composite scores) during the 30 days prior to 6-month follow-up; secondary outcome was compliance to the recommended treatment.

Results: Compared to middle-aged, among elderly patients a higher proportion were females (33.5% vs. 42.8%) and had a lower family/social ASI-composite score (0.17 vs. 0.12) at baseline. Higher alcohol and family/social ASI-composite scores were inversely correlated with abstinence. Elderly patients had a higher chance for abstinence compared to middle-aged patients (Odds ratio 95% [confidence interval]) 1.40 (1.03–1.92). The proportion of elderly patients that drank 3 or less drinks per day was 17.8%, compared to 10.8% among middle-aged (p < .01). Finally, elderly patients obtained a higher compliance, which was similarly associated with abstinence (OR =2.46 (1.95–3.11)).

Discussion and conclusions: Elderly patients, who receive psychosocial outpatient treatment for alcoholism, have better 6-month outcomes within a range of drinking outcome measures compared to middle-aged patients.

KEYWORDS:

• Alcoholism
• elderly
• middle-aged
• alcohol
• outpatient treatment

Acknowledgments

The authors thank Quality Development- and Research Assistant Allan Thomsen for the collection of data, MSc in Economics Christina Knudsen and Research and Education Secretary Marlene Petersen for their helpful comments and editorial assistance on earlier drafts of this paper.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by a grant in 2013–2014 from the Psychiatric Research Foundation, Region of Southern Denmark to the Unit of Clinical Alcohol Research at the University of Southern Denmark.