Austrian investigators have reported a high prevalence of depression among older people using benzodiazepines (Int J Geriatr Psychiatry 2009;24:563-9).

They reviewed the demographic variables in the first 500 participants recruited to the Vienna Transdanube Aging study involving people aged over 75 years. The lifetime prevalence of benzodiazepine use was 30 per cent; 14 per cent were currently taking a benzodiazepine, of whom 9 per cent did so regularly. Antidepressant use was reported by 11 per cent of participants.

Benzodiazepine use was associated with significantly higher scores on the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) and the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), and higher anxiety scores. Long-term use was associated with higher scores in all categories.

The prevalence of clinically relevant symptoms of depression (GDS score ≥5) was 18 per cent; 26 per cent of this group were taking an antidepressant, 24 per cent were taking a benzodiazepine and 8 per cent were taking both. Defining depression as HAMD ≥15 gave a prevalence of 12 per cent, of whom 31 per cent were taking an antidepressant, 38 per cent were taking a benzodiazepine and 11 per cent were taking both.