Substance use disorders are a group of conditions defined by a problematic pattern of using alcohol, drugs, or other psychoactive substances that leads to clinically significant impairment or distress, encompassing loss of control over use, continued use despite harm, craving, tolerance, and withdrawal. They are rec…
Substance use disorders are a group of conditions defined by a problematic pattern of using alcohol, drugs, or other psychoactive substances that leads to clinically significant impairment or distress, encompassing loss of control over use, continued use despite harm, craving, tolerance, and withdrawal. They are recognized as chronic, relapsing disorders involving changes in brain circuits governing reward, motivation, stress, and self-control, and they affect physical and mental health and social functioning across the lifespan. In the context of ageing, substance use disorders carry particular importance because older adults may experience heightened vulnerability to the effects of substances, interactions with medications and comorbidities, under-recognition of misuse, and intersection with cognitive decline, depression, and isolation. These disorders frequently co-occur with other mental health conditions such as mood and bipolar disorders, anxiety, and suicidality, and with infectious diseases such as hepatitis C, for which treatment access and completion are important. Management is multidimensional, combining screening and assessment, behavioural and psychosocial interventions, pharmacological treatment, and integrated care for co-existing conditions, alongside prevention and harm-reduction approaches. Study of the field spans the neurobiology of addiction, the recognition of substance misuse in older and general populations, the relationship with comorbid mental illness, and the development of effective, accessible treatment and prevention.
9 peer-reviewed articles, ranked by relevance. Each links to its DOI.
The 9 articles above have been cited 17 times in the scholarly literature. Citation data via OpenAlex and Crossref, updated Jun 2026.
A sample of recent works citing this journal's research on Substance Use Disorders, linking to each citing work.