Prescribing with care: antidepressants and mental health in older adults
Antidepressants in older adults: balancing benefits, risks, and alternatives
As our population ages, managing mental health in older adults becomes increasingly important. Anxiety and depression are common but require careful treatment decisions. In a recent podcast, Dr Kate Annear speaks with Dr Paresh Dawda, a respected GP, academic, and educator, to explore the role of antidepressants in managing these conditions, including their risks, benefits, and alternatives.
Are antidepressants always the right choice?
While antidepressants can be effective, their use in older adults presents challenges such as polypharmacy, increased sensitivity to side effects, and medication interactions. Dr Annear and Dr Dawda discuss whether primary care may rely too heavily on these medications due to time constraints and limited alternative options.
Setting expectations and deprescribing
Many assume antidepressants are a lifelong solution, but deprescribing is sometimes necessary. Key strategies include shared decision-making, gradual dose reduction, and ongoing support.
For further information on weighing the risks and benefits of antidepressants, alternative management strategies, and deprescribing approaches, visit QHUB - Antidepressants Clinical Resources & Tools.
Listen to the full conversation
For expert insights, listen to the full podcast featuring Dr Kate Annear and Dr Paresh Dawda. This podcast is available for 0.5 CPD hours and is designed for multidisciplinary health professionals in primary care.
For more free Quality Use of Medicines education, check out QHUB on Medcast
The Quality Use of Medicines Alliance a consortium of eight health and consumer organisations, will align their work across the two grants, awarded under the Australian Government’s Quality Use of Diagnostics, Therapeutics and Pathology (QUDTP) Program.
While the “gold standard” is clear, real-world pressures can put surgical safety to the test. A packed surgical list, a late patient arrival, and a surgeon asking to “hurry up” can all create the temptation to cut corners. Time pressure is one of the biggest threats to safety culture.
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