[Abuse and dependence on alcohol and drugs in advanced age]

The report is based on records of 117 in-patients over 60 years of age treated because of alcohol or drug dependence. Remarkably, the abuse of alcohol and particularly of drugs had frequently started at higher age. Situations of loss, loneliness, and isolation as well as mental and physical disease played a precipitation part. In the majority of patients the course of the dependence was severe. Prophylactic and diagnostic problems will be discussed and the necessity of improved therapeutic means will be pointed out. The avoidance of iatrogenically induced drug dependence appears to be particularly important.