title: [Association between anxiolytic and antidepressant consumption and psychiatric symptoms in the elderly].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  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.
  
  
  METHODS
  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.
  
  
  RESULTS
  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%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A correct psychiatric diagnosis is essential before psychotropic drugs are used to ensure appropriate treatment of the elderly with psychiatric symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Medicina Familiar y Comunitaria, Urgencias de Hospital Obispo Polanco, Teruel, España. ealonsof@papps.org
authors.forename: Enrique
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Alonso Formento
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Saz Muñoz
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lobo Satué
authors.forename: Tirso
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ventura Faci
authors.forename: Concepción
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: De La Cámara Izquierdo
authors.forename: Guillermo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Marcos Aragüés
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001007:Anxiety / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D007319:Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D000928:Antidepressive Agents