This article presents a brief outline of the current evidence- base for the pharmacological treatment of depression in the older people. Response to a single antidepressant is 50-60% and both tricyclic antidepressants and the newer antidepressants are equally effective in the short term although optimum response may take up to 8-12 weeks. There is good evidence for mainte nance antidepressant therapy in the elderly but only limited evidence for the use of lithium in older people . There are currently no randomised, placebo- controlled trials of pharmacotherapy in treatment - resistant depression but therapies commonly used in clinical practice are outlined.