When alprazolam was compared with placebo for reduction in symptoms all estimates indicated a positive effect for alprazolam .
The RD of all-cause withdrawals did not differ between alprazolam and placebo .
Alprazolam appears to reduce depressive symptoms more effectively than placebo and as effectively as tricyclic antidepressants .
Whilst the rate of all-cause withdrawals did not appear to differ between alprazolam and placebo , and withdrawals were less frequent in the alprazolam group than in any of the conventional antidepressants combined group , these findings should be interpreted with caution , given the dependency properties of benzodiazepines
BACKGROUND The ' off-label ' effect of alprazolam on depression has not been systematic ally evaluated .
OBJECTIVES To determine the antidepressant effect , including tolerability and acceptability , of alprazolam as monotherapy for major depression , when compared to placebo and conventional antidepressants in out patients and patients in primary care .
Issues in clinical trials with the depressed elderly.
Despite the fact that there is a high prevalence of depression among the elderly , little research on the efficacy of psychotherapy or pharmacotherapy with the elderly has been reported in the literature . This paper describes a sample of 18 elderly patients who received both psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy for the treatment of depression .  Psychotherapy involved weekly 30 - 50 minutes sessions of interpersonal psychotherapy with a treating psychiatrist . The drug treatment consisted of r and om assignment , double-blind , to either alprazolam , imipramine , or pill-placebo for six weeks . The focus of therapy was on the attendance , compliance , and symptomatic relief in elderly depressed patients , as well as on the major life problems identified by these patients in psychotherapy . Results indicated that elderly patients respond to community publicity regarding a psychotherapy treatment program . However , the majority are inappropriate referrals for diagnostic reasons . If accepted , elderly patients showed good compliance with drugs , and attendance was comparable to that in younger population s. The elderly patients responded well to treatment , with immediate and marked improvement on the Hamilton and Raskin Depression Scales , which was maintained after treatment . Grief and role transitions specific to life changes were frequent antecedents to depression in this elderly population and thus were the major foci in psychotherapy
When alprazolam was compared with placebo for reduction in symptoms all estimates indicated a positive effect for alprazolam .
The RD of all-cause withdrawals did not differ between alprazolam and placebo .
Alprazolam appears to reduce depressive symptoms more effectively than placebo and as effectively as tricyclic antidepressants .
Whilst the rate of all-cause withdrawals did not appear to differ between alprazolam and placebo , and withdrawals were less frequent in the alprazolam group than in any of the conventional antidepressants combined group , these findings should be interpreted with caution , given the dependency properties of benzodiazepines
BACKGROUND The ' off-label ' effect of alprazolam on depression has not been systematic ally evaluated .
OBJECTIVES To determine the antidepressant effect , including tolerability and acceptability , of alprazolam as monotherapy for major depression , when compared to placebo and conventional antidepressants in out patients and patients in primary care .