[The Zung-12: a questionnaire for depression in the elderly]

The reliability and validity for use in psycho-geriatric practice of a short and experimenter-rated version of the Zung (Self-rating) Depression Scale, the Zung-12, was studied. The subjects (N = 237) were aged 62 years or older and lived independently, in adapted dwelling, in homes for the aged, or received psychogeriatric daycare in psychogeriatric nursing-homes. It was concluded that the Zung-12 was sufficiently reliable (Cronbachs alpha = 0.85). According to factor analyses the test had high loadings on a depression factor and there were no loadings on a dementia factor. Age did not correlate with depression-scores. In comparison with other living situations the percentage of depressive persons in homes for the aged appeared to be high. Norms in the form of percentile scores were calculated separately for the homes for the aged and the remaining living situations.