Association Between Polypharmacy, Anxiety, and Depression Among Chinese Older Adults: Evidence from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey

PURPOSE: To investigate the association between polypharmacy, anxiety, and depression among Chinese older adults. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The data used in this study were from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS), the 2018 wave. Polypharmacy status was measured by the accumulation of self-reported medications. Anxiety and depression were assessed by the Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) scale and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D-10), respectively. Logistic regression models were performed. RESULTS: A total of 2484 Chinese older adults (female: 1321, 53.2%) aged from 60 to 117 years old were included in the analysis. Regression analysis showed that polypharmacy was associated with depression after controlling for the covariates. No association was observed between polypharmacy and anxiety. CONCLUSION: There was a suggestive link between polypharmacy and depression among Chinese older adults. Having polypharmacy might be an indicator for the possible depression among this population, but a comprehensive assessment of polypharmacy is necessary.