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

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

METHODS: 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.

RESULTS: Over 40% of participants reported polypharmacy. In unadjusted models, polypharmacy was positively related to depressive symptoms (Incidence Rate Ratio [IRR] = 1.44,  < .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,  > .05). There were no significant gender differences in unadjusted or adjusted models in the relationship between polypharmacy and depressive symptoms.

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

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