Preliminary normative data on the Geriatric Depression Scale-Short Form (GDS-SF) in a young adult sample

As part of a larger cognitive neuropsychological study, a total of 559 consecutive undergraduates aged 17-30 years completed the shortened form (15 Yes/No items) of the self-report Geriatric Depression Scale-Short Form (GDS-SF). Approximately 22 individuals (or 4% of the total) obtained a GDS score that was indicative of "probable" depression (i.e., a score of 6 or higher, up to 15). Small but highly significant correlations (all p's < .01) were obtained between GDS-SF and age, education, and self-rated health. Fifty-one additional undergraduates from the same population were given the GDS-SF and the Beck Depression Inventory together, and the resulting correlation coefficient between these two scores was r = .84 (p < .01), thereby establishing concurrent validity of GDS-SF performance with another well-validated and reliable measure of depression in this age group.