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Comparing various short-form Geriatric Depression Scales leads to the GDS-5/15
Sandra Kenney Weeks1, Paul E McGann, Teresa King Michaels
1North Carolina Baptist Hospital, Wake Forest University, Baptist Medical Center, Winston Salem, NC, USA. sweeks@wfubmc.edu
Summary
A new Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS)-5/15 tool offers a valid and reliable alternative for screening depression in older adults, improving efficiency in clinical settings.
Area of Science:
- Geriatric Medicine
- Psychiatry
- Clinical Psychology
Background:
- Depression is a common and serious condition in older adults.
- Accurate and efficient screening tools are crucial for timely diagnosis and treatment.
- The 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) is widely used but can be lengthy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare three existing short-form Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) instruments.
- To identify a valid and reliable short-form alternative to the 15-item GDS.
- To develop an improved screening tool for geriatric depression.
Main Methods:
- A comparative validation study was conducted.
- Retrospective chart review of 816 acute care patients.
- Compared D'Ath GDS-4, van Marwijk GDS-4, and Hoyl GDS-5 against the 15-item GDS.
Main Results:
- The Hoyl 5-item version demonstrated high sensitivity (97.9%).
- Concerns regarding false positives with the GDS-5 led to the development of the GDS-5/15.
- The GDS-5/15 screened 60% of patients as "not depressed" with the initial 5 items, reducing the need for full scale completion.
Conclusions:
- The GDS-5/15 serves as a viable alternative screening tool for geriatric depression.
- Shorter screening tools may increase adoption by healthcare providers in routine care.
- This tool can streamline depression screening in older adult populations.