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Screening for depression in a geriatric rehabilitation sample
Anita B Gantner1, Daniel S P Schubert, Sanford R Wolf
1Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, MetroHealth Medical Center for Rehabilitation, MetroHealth Medical Center, Dept of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Cleveland, OH 44109-1998, USA. agantner@metrohealth.org
International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine
|May 22, 2004
Summary
The short depression inventory (SDI) effectively screens elderly medical inpatients for depression, showing high sensitivity and specificity comparable to the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). This tool shows promise for medical populations.
Area of Science:
- Geriatric Medicine
- Psychiatry
- Clinical Psychology
Background:
- Depression is a common comorbidity in elderly medical inpatients.
- Accurate and efficient screening tools are needed for this population.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the utility of a short depression inventory (SDI) for screening depression in elderly medical inpatients.
- To compare the psychometric properties of the SDI with the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS).
Main Methods:
- A sample of elderly medical inpatients was assessed using the Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE), SDI, and GDS.
- A clinical interview based on DSM-III-R criteria was used to establish a diagnosis of major depression.
- Sensitivity and specificity of the SDI and GDS were calculated.
Main Results:
- The SDI achieved 100% sensitivity and 85% specificity at an optimal cut-off score of 4.
- The GDS demonstrated 100% sensitivity and 90% specificity.
- The SDI was found to be psychometrically equivalent to the GDS.
Conclusions:
- The SDI demonstrates high sensitivity and specificity, making it a valuable tool for depression screening in elderly medical inpatients.
- The SDI is a promising and psychometrically sound alternative to the GDS for this population.