[Association between anxiolytic and antidepressant consumption and psychiatric symptoms in the elderly]

Many studies have reported excessive consumption of psychotropic drugs in the elderly but none have related psychotropic drug use to psychiatric symptoms and sleep disorders in community-dwelling patients aged more than 65 years old in Spain.

We performed a cross sectional study in a representative sample (9,739 persons) from the population aged more than 55 years old in the city of Zaragoza in 2001. A total of 3,714 persons aged more than 65 years old were interviewed. The data belonged to the ZARADEMP project.

The mean age of the sample was 76.9 years (59.2% women and 40.8% men). Anxiolytics or antidepressants were consumed by 22.6% of the sample. A diagnosis of depression was made in 12.9%, anxiety in 1.6% and insomnia in 36%. We found high consumption of anxiolytics, especially in persons with depression (42.2%) and low consumption of antidepressants, especially in persons with a diagnosis of depression (15.4%) and in those with depressive symptoms (8.2%).

A correct psychiatric diagnosis is essential before psychotropic drugs are used to ensure appropriate treatment of the elderly with psychiatric symptoms.