title: Benzodiazepine and antidepressant use in elderly patients with anxiety disorders: a survey of 796 outpatients in Japan.
abstract: Since the literature on benzodiazepine use in elderly patients with anxiety disorders is limited, a large cross-sectional review of psychotropic prescriptions in 796 patients with neurotic disorders (ICD-10) (age range=11-91 years) was conducted across 30 sites in Japan. Use of benzodiazepine-derivative anxiolytics was approximately 70% in all decades without a group difference. The proportion of subjects who received prescriptions for benzodiazepine-derivative anxiolytics in the absence of antidepressants was higher in older age groups (e.g., 27.7% and 43.2% in the third and sixth decades, respectively). On the other hand, antidepressants were less frequently prescribed in older age groups (e.g., 59.8% and 41.5% in the third and sixth decades, respectively). The very high use of anxiolytics in the elderly, especially in the absence of concomitant antidepressant use, is a cause for concern since they are not a preferred long-term treatment strategy given their adverse effects in the elderly.
authors.affiliation: Keio University, School of Medicine, Department of Neuropsychiatry, Tokyo, Japan. mcn41320@biglobe.ne.jp
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Uchida
authors.forename: Takefumi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: David C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Mamo
authors.forename: Benoit H
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Mulsant
authors.forename: Toshiaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kikuchi
authors.forename: Hiroyoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takeuchi
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tomita
authors.forename: Koichiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Gohei
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Yagi
authors.forename: Haruo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kashima
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001569:Benzodiazepines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D001569:Benzodiazepines