Centre for Policy on Ageing



Sertraline in the treatment of minor depression in nursing home residents — a pilot study
Author(s)	Jules Rosen, Benoit H Mulsant, Bruce G Pollock
Journal title	International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, vol 15, no 2, February 2000
Pages	pp 177-180
Keywords	Depression ; Drugs ; Patients [nursing homes] ; Pilot ; United States of America.
Annotation	"Minor" depression affects up to 50% of residents in long-term care, and is associated with considerable discomfort, disability and risk of morbidity. Despite the prevalence of this problem, few studies concerning treatment of these patients have been conducted. In an open clinical trial, 12 American nursing home residents who met the DSM-IV description for minor depressive disorder were treated with sertraline for 6 weeks. Adverse effects and clinical response were monitored. All residents tolerated their medication without any significant side effects. At the completion of the study, the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) and Global Assessment Scale (GLA) change scores both indicated significant improvement, and 75% of the residents met criteria for "remission". This preliminary study provides evidence that nursing home residents with minor depression tolerated treatment with sertraline and improved clinically. (RH).
Accession Number	CPA-000502013 A
Classmark	ENR: LLD: LHB:LF: 4UC: 7T
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...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing.