A New Scale for Clinical Assessment in Geriatric Populations: Sandoz Clinical Assessment – Geriatric (SCAG)*

ABSTRACT The importance of diagnostic differentiation between early senile deterioration and depressive disorders in the aged led to the development of Sandoz Clinical Assessment—Geriatric (SCAG) as a new rating instrument especially applicable to the elderly. It is composed of 18 symptom areas rated on a 7‐point format. Study 1 was carried out on 51 geriatric subjects (25 volunteers and 26 hospital inpatients at a health center), tested by SCAG and also by the widely used MSER (Mental Status Examination Record). In Study 2, data were obtained on 8 subjects tested by 4 psychiatrists, to determine interrater reliability. The statistical findings indicated that SCAG is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing psychopathology in the elderly.