BACKGROUND: There has been a steady increase in the prescription of antidepressants for the elderly. This study comprises a systematic review of randomized, placebo-controlled trials of antidepressants for treatment of depressive disorder in people aged 65 years or more.

METHODS: PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, CINAL, and PsycINFO were searched until May 2016. Where appropriate, the results were synthesized in meta-analyses.

RESULTS: Twelve trials met the inclusion criteria. For patients with major depressive disorder, selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRI) were not superior to placebo in achieving remission (OR: 0.79, 95% CI: 0.61-1.03) or response (OR=0.86, 95% CI: 0.51-1.10) after 8 weeks of treatment (three trials). However, maintenance treatment with SSRIs was superior to placebo in preventing relapse (OR: 0.22, 95% CI: 0.13-0.36; NNT=5, 95% CI: 3-6; two trials). Duloxetine was superior to placebo in achieving remission (OR: 1.78, 95% CI: 1.20-2.65; NNT=9, 95% CI: 6-20; three trials) and response (OR: 1.83, 95% CI: 1.96-4.08; two trials) in recurrent major depression after 8 weeks, but increased the risk of adverse events that can be problematic in the elderly.

LIMITATIONS: The quality of evidence was generally low or moderate, emphasizing the uncertainty of the results. Study populations only partly covered the heterogeneous population of elderly with depressed mood, limiting the generalizability.

CONCLUSION: The results underscore the importance of close monitoring of the effects of antidepressants in treatment of elderly patients with a depressive disorder. Methods for early detection of non-responders and effective treatment options for this group are needed.