Cross sectional database analysis of antidepressant prescribing in general practice in the United Kingdom, 1993–5: Table 1

retention of urine, possibly because of the anticholinergic effect of tricyclic drugs.These results are reassuring in that tricyclic antidepressants seem to be safe in the doses used in clinical practice.Although antidepressants are given for indications other than depression, the results are worry- ing because tricyclic antidepressants were mostly prescribed in low doses and both types of antidepressant were given only short term.These two factors mean that the treatment of major depression is less likely to be effective.Further research should determine why antidepressant drugs are prescribed in this way.