Skip to main content
. 2012 Jul 12;14(4):PCC.11r01320. doi: 10.4088/PCC.11r01320

Table 1.

Risk Factors for Substance Abuse Among the Elderlya

Risk Factor
“Young” elder, unmarried, male
Low income status
Previous illicit substance use
Current methadone maintenance
Licit drug or alcohol use
Comorbid mental illness, especially depression and/or anxiety
Substance abuse among close contacts
Involvement in crime, especially drug crime
Social isolation/poor social support
Inmate status
a

Based on Wu and Blazer,3 Rosen et al,18 and Briggs et al.20