Longitudinal Associations Between Loneliness and Prescription Medication Use.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

Both loneliness and the use of psychotropic drugs are common in later life. Although loneliness has been found to be associated with psychotropic drug use, most studies have been cross-sectional, and we know less about their longitudinal associations.

Methods

Drawing on five waves of data from the Health and Retirement Study and two statistical approaches (fixed-effects and cross-lagged panel models), we examine longitudinal associations between loneliness and the use of prescription pain and depression/anxiety medications.

Results

Across 57,654 observations among 20,589 respondents, 22.8% reported regular use of pain prescription medications, 17.8% regular use of depression/anxiety prescription medication, and 15.6% feeling lonely in the past week. Lonelin

SUBMITTER: Lam J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10066736 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature