Defining a problem

From Chapter 1: Introduction in Improving our Response to Older Adults with Substance Use, Mental Health and Gambling Problems: A Guide for Supervisors, Managers and Clinical Staff

Problems may not always be obvious. For example, not every older adult who drinks alcohol, worries about his or her health or plays the lottery has a problem.

There are many ways to define problems, but perhaps the simplest way is to determine whether a person’s substance use, gambling or mental health is having an ongoing negative impact on the person’s life, or on the people who are close to that person. These negative impacts can go far beyond the immediate symptoms to affect every aspect of a person’s life, including his or her physical and emotional health, thought processes, social and family life, housing, finances and ability to live independently.