Risk For Drug Abuse Higher In Older Lesbian, Gay, Bi Adults, New Study Reveals

A new study by the Journal of General Internal Medicine has found that middle-aged and older adults who identify as lesbian, gay or bi are more than twice as likely to abuse prescription tranquillisers and opioid pain medication, compared to their heterosexual peers.

Lesbian, gay and bi older adults were more than three times as likely to consume cannabis for non-medical purposes while the use of drugs such as cocaine and methamphetamine was roughly the same, low, among both populations of older adults, the study revealed.

“Marijuana use is increasing among the older population in general [and] sexual minority individuals in this age group are just more likely to use it,” Joseph Palamar, an associate professor of population health at NYU Langone Health, told ‘UPI’.

“While marijuana is by no means the most dangerous drug, use can be riskier for older people,” Palamar said.

Drug use among older all older adults regardless of sexual orientation is hardly “rampart”, researchers have stated. “A multitude of stressors can be a risk factor for unhealthy substance use,” co-author Dr. Benjamin Han, an assistant professor of geriatric medicine and palliative care at NYU Langone Health, told ‘UPI’.

“The stressors of aging can be challenging, especially for individuals who are isolated and can lead to unhealthy drug and alcohol use, and in addition older LGBTQ adults may face the added stressors of stigma and isolation,” Han said.

The findings are consistent with earlier research showing that LGBT+ teens and young adults are more likely to use a range of substances compared to their heterosexual counterparts, according to Han and his colleagues. Such use may be attributed to stressors like discrimination, oppression and stigma, they said, although further research is needed.

Han and Palmar stated they hope to draw attention to the need of communities who have been underserved with regard to substance abuse treatment and mental health services in general.

“Sexual minority older adults may also simply be more open-minded than their heterosexual counterparts and therefore be more willing to use marijuana [and other drugs],” Palamar said. “After all, these are people from more conservative generations -- Baby Boomers and the Silent Generation.”

“While indeed older sexual minority individuals are more likely than older heterosexuals to use these drugs, we don't think drug use is by any means rampant in this group,” he added.

Han and his colleague reviewed data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health and using survey responses from 2015 through 2017, the researchers focused on data collected between 2015 and 2017 from adults 50 and older. In all, the study population included 25,880 participants, 2.5 percents of when identified as lesbian, gay or bisexual.

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