Older adults with money worries turn to alcohol and smoking
By Liz Lockhart
Some older adults may turn to alcohol and cigarettes as a way to cope during times of financial difficulty, a 
new study suggests.
Tough economic times are being experienced by many as a result of the economic recession and national debt. Researchers found that some people, particularly men and people with less education, were at risk of drinking more if their financial situation became difficult. The same was found when it came to smoking, particularly among relatively younger study participants.
In this study researchers evaluated the behaviour of more than 2,300 older American individuals.
The lead author, Benjamin A. Shaw, Ph.D., of the State University of New York at Albany, says that it is common for people to use alcohol and cigarettes as a way of coping with stress. The study did not find that financial strain alone was the reason for the change in drinking and smoking behaviour.
‘When you have a stressor that’s not very controllable, people may focus on something to help control emotional response to the stressor,’ Shaw said. He added that financial worries may be particularly stressful for older adults.
‘They are out of the workforce, and they might feel like they have less time to recover or generally have less control over their financial situation,’ said Shaw.
The study surveyed older adults periodically between 1992 and 2006. This period of time saw the world in better financial shape than it is today. This suggests that the continuing financial difficulties, along with the aging population, will increase the number of older adults facing money worries, the researchers say.
Researchers found that 16% of the study participants reported an increase in financial strain over the duration of the study. 3% reported increases in heavy drinking, more than 30 drinks a month, and 1% said they had started smoking more.
For older men who were experiencing a growing financial strain the odds were even higher. This group was 30% more likely to start heavy drinking than men who had no financial pressures.
Interestingly, older women cut down on drinking when they had hard financial times. The reason for this difference is not apparent.
Shaw thinks that it may be that older men tend to find it more difficult to face financial difficulties, perhaps because they consider themselves to be the breadwinner, or because they generally have less social support than women. For older generations it is also possible that drinking and smoking are viewed as less appropriate responses to stress for women.
The study should serve as a warning sign for family and friends to recognise behavioural changes in older people, Shaw and his research team believe. Whilst older people often conceal money worries, relatives can be watchful for possible signs of drinking problems or increased smoking.
Shaw said that human service agencies and local health departments could play their part by setting up programmes to help older adults to find better ways to deal with the stress associated with financial problems.
The study is published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.
Source: Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs
