Polypharmacy and Depressive Symptoms in Older Adults: Does Gender Matter?

This study examined the relationship between polypharmacy and depressive symptoms among U.S. community-dwelling older adults and whether it varied by gender.

We conducted a retrospective population-based analysis of 3,354 adults aged 65 and older using data from the 2009 Health and Retirement Study Health and Well-Being Study. Polypharmacy was defined as the use of five or more prescription medications. Depressive symptoms were measured using the 8-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CESD-8). Negative binomial regression models assessed associations between polypharmacy and depressive symptoms and whether the relationship varied by gender.

Over 40% of participants reported polypharmacy. In unadjusted models, polypharmacy was positively related to depressive symptoms (Incidence Rate Ratio [IRR] = 1.44, p < .01). In models adjusting for demographic and health characteristics, there was no statistically significant relationship between polypharmacy and depressive symptoms (Adjusted Incidence Rate Ratio [AIRR] = 0.99, p > .05). There were no significant gender differences in unadjusted or adjusted models in the relationship between polypharmacy and depressive symptoms.

Polypharmacy was not related to depressive symptoms among older women or men.

Interventions to address physical health may be more salient to depression management than polypharmacy regardless of gender.