Evidence-Based Pharmacologic Interventions for Geriatric Depression

A self-help behavioral activation treatment for geriatric depressive symptoms

“…Pharmacotherapies (particularly tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)) have been identified as evidence-based interventions for late-life depression as well (e.g., Shanmugham, Karp, Drayer, Reynolds, & Alexopoulos, 2005). SSRIs are thought to produce side effects that are less threatening to older adults than those associated with TCAs (Shanmugham et al, 2005).…”

“…SSRIs are thought to produce side effects that are less threatening to older adults than those associated with TCAs (Shanmugham et al, 2005). The use of antidepressant medication is more likely to be recommended by medical professionals as a treatment for older adults when depression is severe (Shanmugham et al, 2005).…”

“…SSRIs are thought to produce side effects that are less threatening to older adults than those associated with TCAs (Shanmugham et al, 2005). The use of antidepressant medication is more likely to be recommended by medical professionals as a treatment for older adults when depression is severe (Shanmugham et al, 2005). Hollon and colleagues (2005) have noted that although antidepressant medication is effective and prevents symptom return during the course of treatment, it has little if any effectiveness in reducing the risk of relapse once an individual discontinues taking the medication.…”

Managing Depression in Geriatric Populations

“…In the past few years there have been several systematic reviews and meta-analyses of current published evidence on the efficacy and treatment challenges for pharmacologic intervention in late-life depression (112,(151)(152)(153)(154). The main conclusions of these studies reviewing antidepressant treatment for late-life depression are briefly summarized:…”

Evidence-Based Geriatric Psychiatry: An Overview

“…For many years, standard drug trials typically excluded people over the age of 65 in an effort to select individuals who had the fewest confounding or complicating conditions and the lowest risk of adverse events and withdrawals from pharmaceutical trials [22]. The past several decades have witnessed a significant growth in research on geriatric mental health interventions and services research, including treatment efficacy and effectiveness studies [19,20,[26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36]. Efficacy research commonly refers to studies conducted under highly controlled conditions, using carefully selected populations, and often comparing a single active treatment to a placebo or a fixed alternative.…”