Assessing Psychological Weil-Being of the Old-Old: A Comparative Study of GDS-15 md GHQ-12

The purpose of this study was to compare two short measures, viz., the 15-item version of Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15) and the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) in the assessment of the psychological well-being of the old-old in Hong Kong. The sample (7V= 1,034) consisted of 504 males and 530 females aged 70 or above. Results of the study indicated that both measures were of satisfactory reliability (Cronbach alpha =.82 and.75 respectively). Significant and meaningful relationships of GDS-15 and GHQ-12 with social support, physical health, and financial status were established, which provided evidence for the construct validity of the two measures. The findings suggested further that GDS-15 was a more sensitive outcome measure than GHQ-12.