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BRIEF RESEARCH REPORT article

Front. Public Health
Sec. Substance Use Disorders and Behavioral Addictions
Volume 12 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1418690
This article is part of the Research Topic Substance Use Disorder: Above and Beyond Addiction, Volume II View all 18 articles

Mental and Physical Health Characteristics of Older and Younger Adults Receiving Medication for Opioid Use Disorder

Provisionally accepted
Teresa J. Walker Teresa J. Walker 1Rakshitha Mohankumar Rakshitha Mohankumar 1Shane W. Kraus Shane W. Kraus 1Brandi P. Cotton Brandi P. Cotton 2Brenna N. Renn Brenna N. Renn 1*
  • 1 University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, United States
  • 2 Independent researcher, Kingston, Rhode Island, United States

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Background: Methadone is an effective and widely used medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD). Within in the United States (US), older adults represent an increasing proportion of those receiving MOUD, yet little is known about their characteristics. Objectives: To evaluate mental and physical health characteristics of younger and older adults receiving MOUD and test whether age moderates the relation between physical and mental health variables. Methods: Data for this secondary analysis are drawn from a cross-sectional survey of a convenience sample of individuals seeking methadone dosing as part of MOUD at four opioid treatment programs in two regions of the US. Descriptive statistics and correlational and moderation analyses examined outcomes of pain severity, pain interference, self-rated health, physical activity, depression, and anxiety across younger (18-49) and older (50+ years) participants. Results: Analyses included 469 participants (mean [range] age, 41.01 [20-70] years). Older participants reported higher pain severity and interference, less physical activity, and worse self-rated health than those in the younger age group. Associations between mental and physical health variables were generally weak-to-moderate in the older age group and weak in the younger age group. Age did not moderate associations. Clinically significant mental and physical health variables are associated among individuals receiving methadone for MOUD, with older adults facing unique challenges. Conclusions: Opioid use treatment should include pain management, assessment and treatment of depression and anxiety, and optimization of health behaviors (e.g., physical activity) across age groups. Pain management and health promotion are relevant targets for aging individuals receiving MOUD.

    Keywords: Opioids, older adults, mental and physical health, Medication for opioid use disorder, Methadone

    Received: 16 Apr 2024; Accepted: 30 Sep 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Walker, Mohankumar, Kraus, Cotton and Renn. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Brenna N. Renn, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, United States

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.