Patient characteristics and treatment outcome predictors among older adults in routine care treatment for alcohol use disorder

Background: Knowledge on age-specific patient characteristics and treatment outcome predictors from routine-care is needed to understand the treatment needs of older adults (OA; age 60+) with alcohol use disorder (AUD). Aims: To explore age-specific patient characteristics and age-specific predictors of AUD-treatment outcomes. Methods: Routine-care data from n = 125 young adults (18–39 years), n = 216 middle-aged adults (40–59 years), and n = 80 OA who began outpatient AUD-treatment in a Danish municipality between 2019 and 2022. Patients underwent a clinical interview, including the Addiction Severity Index (ASI), at intake and three months after intake. Treatment outcome predictors were investigated with Generalized Linear Models with and without interactions with age group. Results: At intake, OA had greater health and financial problems than younger patients. OA more often had a higher secondary education and were not working. Being an OA (vs. young adults) predicted a lower ASI alcohol score at three months (p<0.001). In the whole sample, more days with health problems, greater financial problems, and previous AUD treatment predicted less favorable treatment outcomes (p<0.05). Most interactions with age were non-significant (p≥0.05). Conclusions: No set of age-specific predictors of treatment outcomes among OA was identified. Predictors of negative treatment outcomes are very prevalent among OA (e. g., health problems) and deserve attention in AUD interventions with OA.