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The geriatric depression scale in palliative care.
Gregory B Crawford1, Julie A Robinson
1Lyell McEwin Health Service, Elizabeth Vale, Australia. gregory.crawford@adelaide.edu.au
Palliative & Supportive Care
|July 30, 2008
Summary
Several Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) short forms are suitable for palliative care patients. Nonsomatic depression symptoms are common, though severe cases show distinct patterns.
Area of Science:
- Geriatric Psychiatry
- Palliative Care Medicine
- Psychometrics
Background:
- The Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) is widely used, but its short forms require validation in specific populations.
- Palliative care patients often experience depression, necessitating reliable and efficient assessment tools.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the psychometric properties of existing Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) short forms in palliative care patients.
- To determine the prevalence of nonsomatic depression symptoms using the full GDS in this population.
Main Methods:
- 84 advanced cancer patients in palliative care outpatient clinics participated.
- GDS short form scores were derived from the full 30-item GDS.
- Psychometric properties including internal consistency, reliability, and validity were assessed.
Main Results:
- Five GDS short forms demonstrated good psychometric properties in palliative care patients.
- Nonsomatic depression symptoms were frequently reported, but few patients reported numerous symptoms.
- Patients with severe depression exhibited distinct GDS-30 responses.
Conclusions:
- Multiple GDS short forms are appropriate for assessing depression in palliative care settings.
- Depression symptoms in palliative care patients share similarities with other geriatric populations.
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