Prevention Matters

Screening and brief intervention programs can spot addiction and mental health problems among elderly patients that traditional healthcare interactions may miss, findings from a new Florida study indicate.

Reuters reported June 12 that researchers screened more than 3,000 elderly Florida residents during a three-year study, using a tool called BRITE to assess subjects for six risk factors. The study authors found that 10 percent of those screened had problems with alcohol misuse, 26 percent had problems with prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) medication, 64 percent suffered from depression, and 2 percent were at risk for suicide.