Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40892150›Full record

Observational studyDrugs & aging2025

Medication Use and Quality of Life in Older Adults with Personality Disorders.

Julie E M Schulkens, Sebastiaan P J van Alphen, Lara Stas, Mark A Louter, Frans R J Verhey, Sjacko Sobczak

Abstract readMulticenter StudyObservational Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in Drugs & aging, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Julie E M SchulkensAlzheimer Centrum Limburg, Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNs), Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands. Julie.schulkens@maastrichtuniversity.nl.ORCID 0000-0002-0279-4137
Sebastiaan P J van AlphenClinical Center of Excellence for Older Adults with Personality Disorders, Mondriaan Mental Health Hospital, Mondriaan Ouderenzorg, Kloosterkensweg 10, 6419 PJ, Heerlen-Maastricht, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0001-7085-3349
Lara StasCore facility-Support for Quantitative and Qualitative Research (SQUARE), Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium.ORCID 0000-0003-1567-2881
Mark A LouterViersprong Institute for Studies on Personality Disorders, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Frans R J VerheyAlzheimer Centrum Limburg, Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNs), Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0002-8307-8406
Sjacko SobczakClinical Center of Excellence for Older Adults with Personality Disorders, Mondriaan Mental Health Hospital, Mondriaan Ouderenzorg, Kloosterkensweg 10, 6419 PJ, Heerlen-Maastricht, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0001-6351-0479

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMedication use is increasing in psychiatric populations, particularly those with personality disorders (PDs). Older adults with PDs are at higher risk for adverse drug reactions (ADRs), which may interfere with daily functioning.

objectivesThis study aimed to describe medication use and health-related quality of life (HR-QOL) in older adults with PDs compared with control groups and to evaluate predictors of medication use and HR-QOL.

methodsThe PhArmacotherapy aND pOlypharmacy in oldeR Adults (PANDORA) study is a Dutch multicenter cross-sectional study including 77 older adults with PDs (OA-PD), 54 younger to middle-aged adults with PDs (A-PD), and 88 healthy older adults (OA-H). Medication use was assessed via participant questionnaires and verified against electronic health records for patients. HR-QOL was measured using the EQ-5D-3L (visual analog scale [VAS] and utility score). Statistical analyses were performed with general linear models.

resultsPolypharmacy (≥ 5 medications daily) was present in 55.8% of the OA-PD group. OA-PD used more psychotropic and somatic medications than OA-H (b = - 1.555, p < 0.001 and b = - 1.341, p < 0.001, respectively) and A-PD (b = - 0.753, p < 0.001 and b = - 2.128, p < 0.001, respectively). Medication use was predicted by the number of psychiatric and somatic diagnoses. OA-PD reported lower EQ-VAS (b = 20.659, p < 0.001) and lower EQ-utility scores (b = 0.351, p < 0.001) compared with OA-H. ADRs, rather than the number of medications, significantly predicted HR-QOL (p < 0.001).

conclusionsBoth somatic and psychotropic medication use is highly prevalent in OA-PD. OA-PD report lower HR-QOL compared with OA-H, in which ADRs may be a mediating factor. These findings underline the importance of regular medication reviews in older adults with PDs. Future research should investigate longitudinally the effect of deprescribing on HR-QOL in this population.

Indexed as

Personality DisordersQuality of LifeAdultAgedCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedNetherlandsPolypharmacyPsychotropic DrugsSurveys and QuestionnairesPsychotropic Drugs

Identifiers

PMID40892150
PMCPMC12568787

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.