Factors reducing substance abuse among older adults
Karhunen, Johanna (2023)
2023
All rights reserved. This publication is copyrighted. You may download, display and print it for Your own personal use. Commercial use is prohibited.
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2023112230913
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2023112230913
Tiivistelmä
This thesis aimed to investigate the factors that facilitate the reduction of substance abuse among individuals aged 65 and above. The objective was to offer practical insight for professionals working with this demographic, enabling them to gain a better understanding of the factors contributing to substance abuse reduction. Additionally, this study sought to extend its findings to benefit nursing students and educators in the field.
To achieve this, a descriptive literature review was conducted using international professional databases, including CINAHL Complete, CINAHL Academic, and from TUNI ANDOR library database. Initially, 253 articles were screened with six selected for final analysis. Thematic content analysis was applied to interpret the results.
The analysis uncovered various health- and psycho-social-related factors that appeared to aid older adults in making positive changes in their substance abuse habits. The significance of meaningful daily activities, social connections, and effective healthcare interventions became evident. Interestingly, negative experiences associated with abusive drinking and the challenges related to the natural aging process were also identified as factors motivating older adults to either reduce or cease their substance consumption.
These findings hold valuable insights for professionals working with older adults, offering a practical understanding of the factors that can be leveraged to assist in substance use reduction. Moreover, these results have practical applications in the development of services tailored to this demographic.
Further studies are needed to deepen the understanding of reducing factors and how future services may be developed, aiming to better comprehend the specific needs of older adults with substance abuse problems.
To achieve this, a descriptive literature review was conducted using international professional databases, including CINAHL Complete, CINAHL Academic, and from TUNI ANDOR library database. Initially, 253 articles were screened with six selected for final analysis. Thematic content analysis was applied to interpret the results.
The analysis uncovered various health- and psycho-social-related factors that appeared to aid older adults in making positive changes in their substance abuse habits. The significance of meaningful daily activities, social connections, and effective healthcare interventions became evident. Interestingly, negative experiences associated with abusive drinking and the challenges related to the natural aging process were also identified as factors motivating older adults to either reduce or cease their substance consumption.
These findings hold valuable insights for professionals working with older adults, offering a practical understanding of the factors that can be leveraged to assist in substance use reduction. Moreover, these results have practical applications in the development of services tailored to this demographic.
Further studies are needed to deepen the understanding of reducing factors and how future services may be developed, aiming to better comprehend the specific needs of older adults with substance abuse problems.