A hidden aspect of the U.S. opioid crisis: Rise in first-time treatment admissions for older adults with opioid use disorder.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Older adults with opioid use disorder (OUD) are a medically complex population. The current study evaluated trends in older adults seeking treatment for OUD, with a focus on primary heroin versus prescription opioid use. This study also compared older adults with OUD to the younger OUD population on demographics and drug use behaviors.

Methods

Publicly available data from state-certified addiction treatment centers were collected via the Treatment Episode Data Set - Admissions (TEDS-A) between 2004-2015. This study utilized Joinpoint Regression to conduct a cross-sectional, longitudinal analysis of trends in first-time treatment admissions for OUD in adults 55 and older (older adults; n = 400,421) versus adults under the age of 55 (n = 7,795,839). Given the rapid

SUBMITTER: Huhn AS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6242338 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature