EMPOWERING ADULTS SEEKING RECOVERY FROM SUBSTANCE AND OPIOID USE DISORDER IN THE DEEP SOUTH

Abstract

Abstract Substance and opioid use disorder may be missed due to lack of consideration of physical, social, and emotional changes in midlife and later adulthood. This presentation uses data from a Graduate Psychology Education grant to examine predictors of alcohol use and misuse among treatment-seeking and primary care patients. Across three sites, 237 individuals completed behavioral health assessments; a rural (n = 54) and an urban federally qualified health center (n = 59), and a state-certified residential rehabilitation facility (n = 124). Participants ranged from 18 to 70 years of age (M = 40.05, SD = 1.75). Approximately 49.4% were female and 72.2% were non-Hispanic White, 23.3% African American, and 4.6% other. More than 28% of individuals had less than a high school education, and 38.4% reported a high school education or GED. Using the TAPS-II, 34.2% of participants reported alcohol use, and 13.5% reported prescription opioid misuse. Logistic regression analyses revealed that older age, prescription opioid misuse, and depression were significantly associated with alcohol use, χ2 (7) = 18.04, p = 0.12, while gender, report of adverse childhood experiences, and anxiety were not. Holding age, gender, and experiences constant, prescription opioid misuse had a significant effect on the probability of alcohol use, B = 1.092, SE = .429; Wald = 6.496, p = 0.01. The odds of alcohol use increased by a factor of 2.98 for individuals misusing prescription opioids. Treatment for problematic alcohol use must consider contextual influences including age, prescription opioids, and depression to implement effective evidence-based treatment.