Adherence to Treatment and Outcomes in Older Adults with Substance Use Disorders

Patients who had completed a minimum follow-up period of 6 months by the end of the data collection period were eligible for follow-up analyses. Based on follow-up duration, evaluations were conducted at two time points: (1) the first 6 months following the initial presentation and (2) the 6–12 months post-presentation period. At each follow-up interval, patients were classified as adherent if they attended three or more outpatient visits, and as non-adherent if they attended fewer than three visits.

Demographic and clinical characteristics were subsequently compared between adherent and non-adherent patients within each follow-up period. It was hypothesized that treatment adherence among older adults with substance use disorders would be higher during the early follow-up period and would vary according to time-dependent clinical and substance-related factors. All variables have been translated into English, and a codebook is provided describing variable names, definitions, value labels, and measurement levels.

The dataset contains no direct or indirect personal identifiers and complies with ethical standards for research involving human participants. Ethical approval was obtained from the relevant institutional review board, and data sharing is restricted to research and educational purposes.