Personality traits and polypharmacy: meta-analysis of five samples

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Gerontology
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Polypharmacy, the use of multiple medications, is a growing concern, particularly among aging populations.
• Understanding factors influencing polypharmacy is crucial for developing targeted interventions.
• Personality traits are increasingly recognized as potential determinants of health behaviors and outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the prospective association between core personality traits and the risk of developing polypharmacy.
• To examine whether personality traits predict the likelihood of using multiple medications over time.
• To identify specific personality dimensions that may increase or decrease polypharmacy risk.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from over 15,000 participants across five large-scale longitudinal studies (ELSA, MIDUS, HRS, WLS, LISS).
• Assessed personality traits and demographic factors at baseline, with medication use tracked 2 to 20 years later.
• Employed random-effect meta-analyses to synthesize findings across the diverse study samples.

Main Results:

• Higher levels of neuroticism were significantly associated with an increased risk of polypharmacy (OR = 1.30) and excessive polypharmacy (OR = 1.44).
• Conversely, higher conscientiousness (OR = 0.84) and extraversion (OR = 0.85) were linked to a reduced risk of polypharmacy.
• No significant associations were found between openness or agreeableness and polypharmacy. Body mass index, chronic conditions, and depressive symptoms partially mediated these relationships.

Conclusions:

• Neuroticism emerges as a significant risk factor for polypharmacy, highlighting its role in simultaneous multiple medication use.
• Conscientiousness and extraversion appear to have a protective effect against polypharmacy.
• These findings underscore the importance of considering personality in the context of medication management and health outcomes.