In this review, nine of 16 studies (56%) found a significant
association between the presence or the number of
physical illnesses and psychotropic drug use. In their conceptual
model, Gustaffson et al. [69] suggest that affliction
by a new disease constitutes a stressful event that
worsens an older person's mental health status, leading to
the need (personally or professionally perceived) for a
psychotropic drug. Nonetheless, the results overall are
equivocal, perhaps because researchers neglected to consider
both the type and the duration of health problems.
For example, living with high blood pressure and being
struck with congestive heart failure are dissimilar experiences.
Typically, researchers counted only the presence or
number of illnesses and did not distinguish between individuals
who have been living with a disease for a long
period of time and those recently experiencing it. As actually
measured, the illness factor did not clearly discriminate
between older users and non-users of psychotropic
drugs. Taking into account both the nature and the duration
of illnesses in future studies might better elucidate
the relationship between health status and psychotropic
drug use.
Four of six studies (60%) examining the relationship
between psychotropic drug use and use of other medications
found a significantly positive association, but the
direction of causality remains unclear.