Alcohol and prescribed psychotropic drug use among patients admitted to a department of old-age psychiatry in Norway.

Background: Although alcohol and prescribed psychotropic drug use has increased among older people, the usefulness of information provided about these substances in patients' referrals to departments of old-age psychiatry (OAPsy) is unknown.

Aims: To examine whether patients' self-reported elevated use of alcohol and prescribed psychotropic drugs corresponds with information provided in the referrals to OAPsy departments and to explore the factors associated with elevated self-reported use of these substances.

Methods: We recorded the information provided in referrals about the elevated use of alcohol and psychotropic drugs in a sample of 206 patients (69 men) from 12 OAPsy departments.