Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41696732›Full record

ReviewJournal of general and family medicine2026

Association Between Depression and Polypharmacy in Older Adults-A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Yi-Hsin Wang, Tsung-Yu Tsai, Hung-Chang Chou, Huei Chung

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Journal of general and family medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
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

4 authors.

Yi-Hsin WangDepartment of Psychiatry MacKay Memorial Hospital Taipei Taiwan.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0000-2683-5717
Tsung-Yu TsaiDepartment of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill North Carolina USA.
Hung-Chang ChouDepartment of Pharmacy and Master Program Tajen University Pingtung Taiwan.
Huei ChungDepartment of Pharmacy Taoyuan General Hospital, Ministry of Health and Welfare Taoyuan Taiwan.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Depression and polypharmacy are both common among older adults and may be closely interrelated. Methods: This systematic review and meta-analysis examined the association between depression and polypharmacy by searching EMBASE, PubMed, Web of Science, and PsycINFO from inception to 18 May 2023. The review was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42022343619). Results: Eight studies met the inclusion criteria, with six rated high quality and two medium quality. Pooled analysis using a random-effects model demonstrated a strong association between depression and polypharmacy (OR = 2.49; 95% CI: 1.88-3.29; I² = 83%). Subgroup analyses revealed consistently elevated associations in both community-based and institutional/clinic-based populations. Conclusions: Depression is associated with polypharmacy among older adults. These findings underscore the importance of integrating mental health assessment into medication management strategies for older adults.

Indexed as

depressionolder adultspolypharmacy

Identifiers

PMID41696732
PMCPMC12897565

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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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.