| Sumario: | Differences in responses of older adults and younger adults to the Drug Abuse Problem Assessment for Primary Care (DAPA-PC), a computerized drug and alcohol abuse screening instrument developed for primary care settings, were assessed. Older adults are usually underrepresented in treatment programs. Data collected from a diverse population of 327 adults presenting for care at The George Washington University Medical Faculty Associates clinic in downtown Washington, D.C., suggested that rates of drug and alcohol abuse were similar in both younger and older adults, although older adults were less likely than younger adults to perceive their drug use as problematic. The findings both show that there is a serious need for screening seniors and identifying those who may be at risk for substance abuse problems and suggest that the DAPA-PC would provide a useful instrument for screening older adults in a primary care setting.
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