Elderly versus younger problem drinker profiles: do they indicate a need for special programs for the elderly?

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Abstract
To address the question, "Do elderly problem drinkers differ from younger ones and therefore might they need special treatment programs?", the descriptive profiles of a representative sample of older and younger persons arrested for drinking and driving in Iowa were compared. Subjects were interviewed by telephone or mail using a structured, clinical interview schedule that was designed to obtain a comprehensive self-report picture of the role of alcohol in their lives. Younger persons (18-54 years old) were compared with two overlapping elderly age groups (55 and over and 65 and over). The elderly subjects were also dichotomized as "early onset" (at least one problem-drinking indicator occurred prior to age 55) and "late onset" (all problem drinking indicators occurred at age 55 or later). Although there were several statistically significant (p < or = .01) differences between the elderly and younger problem drinkers, there was a much, or more, heterogeneity within the elderly groups as there were differences between the elderly and their younger counterparts. Also, the descriptive profile of these at-large elderly problem drinkers differed, depending on whether their alcohol abuse was early- or late-onset.

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