Older women and alcohol. Use and abuse.

Although estimates of elderly problem drinkers and alcohol-related health problems among the elderly are approximate, there does appear to be a decline in the number of drinkers and the number of heavy drinkers. As with all age groups, there are fewer women who drink than men and fewer women problem drinkers. Moderate social drinking varies with health and income. Among older women, there may well be more problematic use of prescribed psychoactive drugs than alcohol. In the few studies of older problem drinkers available, there are gender differences: Older men are more likely to be married, divorced, or separated, but older women problem drinkers show a hgh rate of widowhood; onset is more recent for older women than for older men; older women are more problematic users of prescribed psychoactive drugs; and the prevailing comorbidity among older women alcohol abusers is probably depressive disorder.