Substance use, misuse, and abuse among older adults: implications for clinical mental health counsel

Target audience and instructional level of this course: foundational

There is no known conflict of interest or commercial support related to this CE program.

Course Description

Improve your practice with this course on substance use, misuse, and abuse among older adults. The expected rise in substance use disorders among older adults points to the need for clinical mental health counselors to address this demographic with more knowledge. While use of illicit drugs in older adults is much lower than among other adults, it is currently increasing. Data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), an annual nationally representative study of the U.S. population ages 12 and older, show that drug use among adults ages 65 and older increased from 19.3 percent in 2012 to 31.2 percent in 2017 (Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality, 2019). This article (a) discusses the prevalence, vulnerabilities, and consequences of misuse and abuse of alcohol, prescription drugs, and illicit substances; b) reviews age-specific counseling considerations and approaches to assessment, diagnosis, and intervention; and (c) calls for more attention to the subject in training and research.

Learning Objectives

After completing this training the professional will:

• Describe the prevalence, vulnerabilities, and consequences of misuse and abuse of alcohol, prescription drugs, and illicit substances among older adults.
• Identify counseling considerations and approaches to assessment, diagnosis, and intervention for older adults with substance use disorders.

Wanda P. Briggs, Ph.D.
Winthrop University

Virginia A. Magnus, Ph.D.
University of Tennessee Chattanooga
Pam Lassiter, Ph.D.
Amanda Patterson, LMHC
Lydia Smith, Ph.D.
University of North Carolina Charlotte

You must be logged in to view and or take the course post test.

Click here to login