Background: Multimorbidity including physical and mental illness is increasing in prevalence. We aimed to investigate the associations between physical conditions and medication use with anxiety and depression in midlife.
Methods: We conducted an observational cross-sectional study of volunteers in the PREVENT Dementia study. Using logistic and linear regression, we investigated the association between increasing numbers of self-reported chronic physical conditions and medications with self-reported depression and anxiety disorder, and scores on the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) scale and Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) state subtest.
Results: Of the 210 participants, 148 (71%) were women and 188 (90%) Caucasian. The mean age was 52 (standard deviation (SD) = 5.5) years. The mean number of physical conditions was 2.2 (SD = 1.9) and medications 1.7 (SD = 2.2). Each additional physical condition was associated with increased odds of self-reported depression (odds ratio (OR) 1.41, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.11-1.80; p = 0.004, adjusted for age and gender) and anxiety disorder (OR 1.70, 95% CI 1.30-2.37; p < 0.001). Increasing medication use was associated with self-reported depression (adjusted OR per additional medication 1.35, 95% CI 1.08-1.71; p = 0.008) but not anxiety disorder. For each additional condition, CES-D scores increased by 0.72 (95% CI 0.11-1.33; p = 0.020) and for each extra medication, by 0.88 (95% CI 0.32-1.44; p = 0.002). There was no significant association between increasing conditions and medications with STAI scores. In models accounting for antidepressant use, all associations were attenuated.
Conclusions: Having more physical conditions is associated with anxiety and depression in midlife, and taking more medications is associated with depression but not anxiety.
Keywords: Multimorbidity; anxiety disorders; depression; middle-aged; polypharmacy.
© The Author(s) 2020.