Observational studyActa psychiatrica Scandinavica2022
Determinants and consequences of polypharmacy in patients with a depressive disorder in later life.
Observational study in Acta psychiatrica Scandinavica, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 17 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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The trial behind it
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Who cites it
17 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 28 citations in OpenAlex.
- Socioenvironmental determinants of polypharmacy in mental health disorders: a systematic review.BMC public health · 2026Pooled it
- Functional improvement by behavioural activation for depressed older adults.European psychiatry : the journal of the Association of European Psychiatrists · 2023Trial
- Prevalence and associated factors of geriatric syndromes using an online self-administered screening tool based on the ICOPE framework in primary care.BMC geriatrics · 2026Article
- Psychedelic Therapies for Comorbid Major Depressive Disorder and Chronic Pain: A Review of Putative Mechanisms of Action.Pharmacology research & perspectives · 2026Review
- Sarcopenia and depression: a strong association in older adults with type 2 diabetes in Vietnam.BMC geriatrics · 2026Article
- Understanding Perceived Pill Burden in Older Adults with HIV: Exploring Clinical and Demographic Determinants.AIDS and behavior · 2026Article
- Association Between Depression and Polypharmacy in Older Adults-A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Journal of general and family medicine · 2026Review
- Factors associated with drug-drug interactions involving citalopram in the UK Biobank.BJPsych open · 2025Article
- One-Year Changes in Depressive Symptoms and Cognitive Function Among Brazilian Older Adults Attending Primary Care.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Prevalence and influencing factors of medication-related burden among patients with late-life depression in typical city of eastern China: a cross-sectional study.BMC public health · 2024Article
- Analysis of longitudinal patterns and predictors of medicine use in residential aged care using group-based trajectory modelling: The MEDTRAC-Polypharmacy longitudinal cohort study.British journal of clinical pharmacology · 2024Article
- Biomarkers in the Diagnosis and Prediction of Medication Response in Depression and the Role of Nutraceuticals.International journal of molecular sciences · 2024Review
- Exploring the Influence of Social Class and Sex on Self-Reported Health: Insights from a Representative Population-Based Study.Life (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Association between physical multimorbidity and common mental health disorders in rural and urban Malawian settings: Preliminary findings from Healthy Lives Malawi long-term conditions survey.PLOS global public health · 2024Article
- Evaluation of Antidepressive-like Behaviours and Oxidative Stress Parameters in Mice Receiving Imipramine-Zinc Complex Compound.International journal of molecular sciences · 2023Article
- Efficacy, Tolerability, and Safety of Toludesvenlafaxine for the Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder-A Narrative Review.Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Review
- Determinants and consequences of polypharmacy in patients with a depressive disorder in later life.Acta psychiatrica Scandinavica · 2022Observational
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesPolypharmacy and late-life depression often congregate in the geriatric population. The primary objective is to identify determinants of polypharmacy in patients with depression, and second to examine polypharmacy in relation to various clinical phenotypes of depression and its course.
methodsA longitudinal observational study using data of the Netherlands Study of Depression in Older persons (NESDO) including 375 patients with depression
resultsPolypharmacy was more prevalent among patients with depression (46.9%) versus non-depressed comparisons (19.7%). A lower level of education, lower cognitive functioning, and more chronic diseases were independently associated with polypharmacy. Adjusted for these determinants, polypharmacy was associated with a higher level of motivational problems, anxiety, pain, and an earlier age of onset. A higher number of drugs was associated with a worse course of late-life depression (OR = 1.24 [95% CI: 1.03-1.49], p = 0.022).
conclusionOlder patients with depression have a huge risk of polypharmacy, in particular among those with an early onset depression. As an independent risk factor for chronic depression, polypharmacy needs to be identified and managed appropriately. Findings suggest that depression moderates polypharmacy through shared risk factors, including motivational problems, anxiety, and pain. The complex interaction with somatic health burden requires physicians to prescribe medications with care.
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