What question did this study set out to answer?

To assess the acceptability and diagnostic performance of the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS15) in older primary care attendees and develop shorter screening versions.

January 1, 1994Family Practice

Screening, Detection and Management of Depression in Elderly Primary Care Attenders. I: The Acceptability and Performance of the 15 Item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS15) and the Development of Short Versions

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To assess the acceptability and diagnostic performance of the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS15) in older primary care attendees and develop shorter screening versions.
Administered the GDS15 to 198 older adults attending general practice (N=194 analyzable) to evaluate acceptability, item performance, and internal consistency.
Used logistic regression analysis to derive 10-item (GDS10), 4-item (GDS4), and 1-item (GDS1) abbreviated scales.
Validated the shortened scales against psychiatric diagnoses from the Geriatric Mental Status Schedule (GMS) in an independent sample of 120 patients.
In the initial sample, 34% (67/194) scored above the threshold (cut-off 4/5) for significant depressive symptoms, with high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.80) and 87.6% finding the scale acceptable.
The GDS10, GDS4, and GDS1 showed agreement of 95%, 91%, and 79% with the full GDS15, respectively.
In the validation cohort, sensitivity and specificity against GMS caseness were 87% and 77% for GDS10 (cut-off 3/4), 89% and 65% for GDS4 (cut-off 0/1), and 59% and 75% for GDS1.

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Implication

Validation study reveals strong diagnostic accuracy for shortened Geriatric Depression Scales in primary care attendees, suggesting practical alternatives for routine depression screening.

Cite This Study

D’Ath et al. (1994) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/69debdd85e217d93a5558332 https://doi.org/10.1093/fampra/11.3.260

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Implication

Validation study reveals strong diagnostic accuracy for shortened Geriatric Depression Scales in primary care attendees, suggesting practical alternatives for routine depression screening.

Screening, Detection and Management of Depression in Elderly Primary Care Attenders. I: The Acceptability and Performance of the 15 Item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS15) and the Development of Short Versions

Key Points

Discussion

Implication

Cite This Study

Screening, Detection and Management of Depression in Elderly Primary Care Attenders. I: The Acceptability and Performance of the 15 Item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS15) and the Development of Short Versions

Key Points

Discussion

Implication

Cite This Study

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