@article{ref1,
title="Substance addiction in old age: a cross-sectional study in a German hospital",
journal="GeroPsych (Bern)",
year="2016",
author="Cossmann, Johanna Cristina and Scherbaum, Norbert and Bonnet, Udo",
volume="29",
number="1",
pages="17-27",
abstract=".There is a lack of studies using a structured face-to-face interview focusing on the full spectrum of substance addictions according to ICD or DSM classification systems in older patients. We therefore examined a cohort of 400 randomly selected, at least 65-year-old inpatients of a general hospital concerning addictive disorders using a well-tested structured clinical interview (DSM-IV-TR-based SKID-I). Nearly one third of this cohort was substance dependent: The 12-month prevalence rate for nicotine was 10.3% and for alcohol dependence 3%, with 24.4% and 66.7%, respectively, being severely dependent. These rates were similar to those found in the general German population of persons under 65 year of age. A fifth of the cohort was (mostly mildly) dependent on prescription drugs, remarkably including nonopioid analgesics. One case with a previous dependence on gabapentin was identified. Identification and management of addiction disorders should be considered as part of the basic geriatric assessment.<p />",
language="en",
issn="1662-9647",
doi="10.1024/1662-9647/a000140",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1024/1662-9647/a000140"
}