Comparing Various Short-Form Geriatric Depression Scales Leads to the GDS-5/15

• Published in: Journal of nursing scholarship Vol. 35; no. 2; pp. 133 - 137
• Main Authors: Weeks, Sandra Kenney, McGann, Paul E., Michaels, Teresa King, Penninx, Brenda W.J.H.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Science Inc 01.01.2003; Blackwell Publishing Ltd
• Subjects: Academic Medical Centers; Aged; depression; Depressive Disorder - diagnosis; Female; GDS; Geriatric Assessment; Humans; Inpatients; Male; Mass Screening - methods; Mass Screening - standards; North Carolina; Nursing; Nursing Assessment - methods; Nursing Assessment - standards; older adults; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales - standards; Retrospective Studies; Sensitivity and Specificity; Time Factors; North Carolina
• ISSN: 1527-6546; 1547-5069
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1547-5069.2003.00133.x

Purpose: To compare three published short GDS scales and to identify a valid and reliable short‐form alternative to the 15‐item Geriatric Depression Scale. Design: Comparative validation study via retrospective chart review of 816 acute care patients in an 830‐bed academic medical center in the USA in 2001. Methods: Data of the 15‐item Geriatric Depression Scale, the Mini‐Mental State Examination, and demographic data were extracted from medical records after patient discharge. Three scales: the D'Ath GDS‐4, van Marwijk GDS‐4, and Hoyl GDS‐5, were compared to the 15‐item Geriatric Depression Scale. Results: The Hoyl 5‐item version showed the highest sensitivity (97.9%). Concern for GDS‐5 false positives when compared to the 15‐item GDS (specificity 72.7%) led to re‐ordering the 15 GDS items into a new two‐tiered instrument, the GDS‐5/15. In this study of 816 older adult inpatients, 60% were screened as “not depressed” using the first 5 items on the GDS‐5/15, leaving 40% for continued screening and completion of all 15 GDS items. Conclusions: A shorter screening tool might encourage more providers to add depression screening to routine health care visits. The GDS‐5/15 is an alternative screening tool.