ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on substance use disorders and grief in later life. Although recent research has shown that older adults use substances at a high level, substance use disorders are often a hidden problem in the older adult population. This is largely due to ageism and the prevailing cultural norm that older adults deserve to be happy and are not being harmed by their use of substances. This assumption is false, however. The physical changes that occur in the aging body, combined with even a moderate amount of substance use, play a large role in the health deterioration of older adults. Substance misuse risk factors in older adults are not only physical but also mental and emotional. A unique risk factor for substance abuse that emerges in older adulthood is grief and loss. Due to the developmental life changes that occur, older adults are faced with many kinds of loss and grief, such as the loss of loved ones, loss of income, and loss of identity that comes with retirement. As a result of these losses, older adults often turn to substances to cope, leading to substance use problems. Treatment for older adults must address these important risk factors and be developed with their unique developmental needs in mind.
