Antidepressant use increases the risk of falls in older adults.

the verdict

SUPPORTED

the evidence backs this

Recorded sources

6 sources for · 0 against

Counts group repeated records of the same source within each side. They do not measure evidence strength or source independence.

Is it true that antidepressant use increases the risk of falls in older adults?

Yes. A 2018 systematic review and meta-analysis reports that antidepressant use is associated with a significantly increased risk of falls in older adults (pooled OR 1.57), and a nationwide cohort study found several specific antidepressants increased fall-related injuries in older adults.

Verdict: SUPPORTED · 6 sources for, 0 against · Last checked 3 Oct 2026

The private library was unavailable for some searches in this check. Missing library results are not evidence against the claim.

Evidence for · 6

Antidepressant

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Antidepressant. (n.d.). en.wikipedia.org. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antidepressant

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More for · 5

Candidate genetic variants and antidepressant-related fall risk in middle-aged and older adults

2022

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Pronk, A. C., Seppala, L. J., Trajanoska, K., Stringa, N., Loo, B. v. d., & Groot, L. C. P. G. M. d. (2022). Candidate genetic variants and antidepressant-related fall risk in middle-aged and older adults. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0266590

Mediation analysis of antidepressant use, depressive symptoms, and recurrent falls in community-dwelling older fallers: an exploratory study

2024

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Adson, d. S. P., Adriana, S., & Yukie, I. E. (2024). Mediation analysis of antidepressant use, depressive symptoms, and recurrent falls in community-dwelling older fallers: an exploratory study. zenodo.org. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aggp.2024.100051

Depression, antidepressants and fall risk: therapeutic dilemmas—a clinical review -

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Depression, antidepressants and fall risk: therapeutic dilemmas—a clinical review - PMC Lock. (n.d.). pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41999-021-00475-7

Fall-Risk-Increasing Drugs: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis: II. Psychotropics.

2018

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Seppala, L. J., Wermelink, A. M. A. T., Vries, M. d., Ploegmakers, K. J., Glind, E. M. M. v. d., Daams, J. G., & Velde, N. v. d. (2018). Fall-Risk-Increasing Drugs: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis: II. Psychotropics.. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jamda.2017.12.098

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Risk of Fall-Related Injuries Associated with Antidepressant Use in Elderly Patients: A Nationwide Matched Cohort Study. (n.d.). cir.nii.ac.jp. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19042298

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