Ageing and older people who use illicit opioids, cocaine or methamphetamine: a scoping review and literature map

Abstract

Aims

To provide an overview of research literature on ageing and older people who use illicit opioids and stimulants by documenting the conceptual frameworks used and content areas that have been investigated.

Methods

We conducted a scoping review of literature relating to ageing and older people who use illicit stimulants and opioids, defining ‘older’ as 40 years and above. Primary studies, secondary studies and editorials were included. Searches were conducted in PubMed and Embase in July 2020 and March 2021; the Cochrane library was searched in November 2021. Charted data included methodological details, any conceptual frameworks explicitly applied by authors and the content areas that were the focus of the publication. We developed a hierarchy of content areas and mapped this to provide a visual guide to the research area.

Results

Of the 164 publications included in this review, only 16 explicitly applied a conceptual framework. Seven core content areas were identified, with most publications contributing to multiple content areas: acknowledgement of drug use among older people ( n = 64), health status ( n = 129), health services ( n = 109), drug use practices and patterns ( n = 84), social environments ( n = 74), the criminal legal system ( n = 28) and quality of life ( n = 15).

Conclusions

The literature regarding older people who use illicit drugs remains under‐theorized. Conceptual frameworks are rarely applied and few have been purposely adapted to this population. Health status and health services access and use are among the most frequently researched topics in this area.