After having corrected for these apparent mistakes , we conducted a sensitivity analysis in which we also accounted for a possible moderating effect of age ; while this suggests SSRIs to be safe drugs in the non-elderly , they do confirm what is already known , that is , that they may enhance the risk for SAEs in the old .
According to a systematic review on the use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors ( SSRIs ) in adult depression that was recently published in BMC Psychiatry , the results of which have been widely disseminated in lay media , these drugs increase the risk for serious adverse events ( SAEs ) while exerting poor antidepressant efficacy .
A controlled multicenter clinical study of citalopram and placebo in elderly depressed patients with and without concomitant dementia
A total of 149 patients in 7 centers in Denmark , Norway and Sweden entered a 6‐week double‐blind trial intended to assess the antidepressant effect and safety of citalopram vs placebo in depressed elderly patients ( 65 years of age or older ) who might also suffer from somatic disorders and /or senile dementia . Results of ratings on the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression , the Montgomery‐Åsberg Depression Rating Scale and the Clinical Global Impression Scale provided consistent evidence that the citalopram‐treated patients improved more than the placebo‐treated patients . Results of ratings on the Gottfries‐Bråne‐Steen dementia rating scale indicated that both cognitive and emotional functioning improved significantly more in the citalopram‐treated subgroup of patients with dementia than in the placebo‐treated subgroup
After having corrected for these apparent mistakes , we conducted a sensitivity analysis in which we also accounted for a possible moderating effect of age ; while this suggests SSRIs to be safe drugs in the non-elderly , they do confirm what is already known , that is , that they may enhance the risk for SAEs in the old .
According to a systematic review on the use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors ( SSRIs ) in adult depression that was recently published in BMC Psychiatry , the results of which have been widely disseminated in lay media , these drugs increase the risk for serious adverse events ( SAEs ) while exerting poor antidepressant efficacy .