In a study involving 248 nursing home residents, researchers found that the risk of residents falling was increased if they were given anti-depressant drugs. They found that the risk of falling and sustaining an injury was three times higher in residents taking the anti-depressants.
For the study researchers recorded drug use and records of falls over a two year period. The average age of the residents was 82.
One hundred and fifty-two of them suffered a total of 683 falls, 220 falls resulted in injuries such as a hip fracture or other broken bones.
As a result of the findings , researchers are asking that caution be used in prescribing anti-depressants for the elderly.
The anti-depressants called selective serotonin uptake inhibitors (SSRI's) are frequently prescribed for dementia patients suffering from depression.
