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----------------------------------------------------------------------- Depressed Elderly Often Treated Inadequately ----------------------------------------------------------------------- WESTPORT, Oct 13 (Reuters) - Evidence that depression in the elderly is improperly managed by nonpsychiatrists is published in the October issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry. Dr. Harold G. Koenig and others at Duke University examined the use of antidepressants by nonpsychiatrists in the treatment of depressed elderly inpatients. "Of 153 depressed patients, 40.5% received antidepressants at some time during their hospital stay or follow-up period, 25.5% received only benzodiazepines, and 34.0% received neither," the Durham, North Carolina, team reports. In addition, "...the favorite antidepressant prescribed for these frail medically ill elderly patients was amitriptyline...and it was usually prescribed at subtherapeutic doses." So, the treatment of depression in these patients was both "potentially dangerous" and inadequate. Dr. Koenig's team followed the patients for about 11 months after discharge and found that depressed patients not treated as inpatients were unlikely "...to be treated adequately after discharge." Of the 91 untreated patients, only 10 received any treatment for depression during the follow-up period. The Duke researchers point out that more than 60% of the elderly depressed patients studied received no treatment either before, during or after hospitalization, and those who did were often prescribed drugs that could "...exacerbate depression and lead to untoward consequences in frail elderly patients." They conclude that "...greater attention should be paid to the identification of depression and appropriate pharmacological strategies..." for the management of depression in the elderly. Am J Psychiatry 1997;154:1369-1375. Westport Newsroom 203 319 2700 Copyright 1997 Reuters Limited. <http://www.reutershealth.com/news/docs/199710/19971013pra.html> -----------------------------------------------------------------------