The gds is comprised of 30 items that were selected by researchers and clinicians for their validity in distinguishing groups of elderly people with depression from the general population mcdowell. Of the 15 items, 10 indicate the presence of depression. Geriatric depression scale an overview sciencedirect topics. To predict depression among elders aged 60 years or older authors of abstract. It can be used within a wide range of settings, and can be used with those that have a medical illness or those with mild to moderate cognitive impairment. Jerome a yesavage geriatric depression scale psychopharmacology bulletin 1988 24. The original geriatric depression scale gds was a 30item questionnaire timeconsuming and challenging for some patients and staff.
Columbiasuicide severity rating scale cssrs the columbiasuicide severity rating scale cssrs is a questionnaire used for suicide assessment developed by multiple institutions, including columbia university, with nimh support. Choose the best answer for how you felt over the past week. We will consider this page to be under continuous development and try to keep translations of the scale. On the full 30question longform, a score is considered normal if its between 09. It has been designed for the assessment of depressive symptomatology in elderly people and excludes any questions relating to the physical symptoms of depression.
According to the geriatric depression scale gds, ct received a score of 8 out of a possible 15 points indicating likelihood of depression. The gds short form 15 questions has been derived from the 30 question version. Depression assessments such as the 4item geriatric depression scale are easy and quick to. Aged care assessment geriatric depression scale gds. Geriatric depression scale gds the gds is used as a screening tool for identifying depression in older adults. Total score greater than five indicates probably depression. Choose the best answer for how you have felt over the past week.
The 5item geriatric depression scale gds is used as a screening tool for identifying depression in older adults. This tip sheet provides guidance on administering the geriatric depression scale gds 15 point version, a depression assessment tool specifically designed for older people. Little is known about the diagnostic validity of the 15. Sf, read it watch it try it web video watch a video demonstrating the use and inter. The geriatric depression scale gds is a selfrating screening tool developed to detect depression in elderly individuals yesavage et al. Have you dropped many of your activities and interests.
Depression is more common in those with multiple chronic conditions. This scale was developed as a basic screening measure for depression in older adults. In addition to the 5item scale, there is a long form. Shah a, herbert r, lewis s, mahendran r, platt j, bhattacharyya b.
Geriatric depression scale long form gdslf and short form gdssf brink, yesavage, lum, heersma, adey, et al. Geriatric depression scale long version the geriatric depression scale gds is a 30item selfreport assessment used to identify depression in the elderly. Pdf validity and reliability of geriatric depression scale. Validity and reliability of geriatric depression scale15. The original 30item form of the gds has been shown to be an effective screening test for depression in a variety of settings. One point is assigned for every positive depression answer see right column on testing form. In the geriatric depression scale, questions are answered yes or no. We will consider this page to be under continuous development and try to keep translations of the scale available. The gds long form is a brief, 30item questionnaire in which participants. Depression assessments such as the 4item geriatric depression scale.
Aged care assessment geriatric depression scale gds tip. Geriatric depression scale short form patients name. Sf has been used in community, acute, and long term care settings. The long form was rescored on the short form and a scatterplot was constructed. It can be used within a wide range of settings and can be used with those that have a medical illness or those with mild to moderate cognitive impairment.
Geriatric depression scale long form neurosciencecme. Questions from the long form gds which had the highest correlation with depressive symptoms in validation studies were selected for the short version. A score greater than five on the short form, or 10 on the long form, indicates the possibility of at least mild depression. Geriatric depression scale gds30 yesavage ja, brink tl, rose tl, lum o, huang v, adey mb, leirer vo. The scale is evidencesupported and is part of a national and international public health initiative involving the. However, its utility in patients with demen tia of the alzheimer type dat is questionable. The other is the short form, with 15 questions taken from the long form scale. Questions from the long form gds which had the highest correlation with depressive. The geriatric depression scale gds is a screening test originally developed by j. In the first phase, 86 geriatric male veterans were administered the long form of the gds at intake. While there are many instruments available to measure depression, the geriatric depression scale gds, first created by yesavage, et al. The long form and the short form of the geriatric depression scale gds were compared in a va nursing home population. The advantage of the gds for medically ill populations is that the instrument purposely does not assess the somatic symptoms of depression.
Yesavage and colleagues in 1982 that is used to identify symptoms of depression in older adults. The geriatric depression scale gds exists in both short and long forms. Geriatric depression scale30 long version ahrq academy. There is a long form 30 item questionnaire and short form 15item questionnaire for the gds. The gds15, which was used in the present study, consists of 15 questions inquiring the patients mood. Circle the answer that best describes how you felt over the past week. The gds long form is a brief, 30item questionnaire in which. A fivecategory response set is not utilized in order to ensure that the scale is simple. The geriatric depression scale gds choose the best answer for how you felt this past week circle one 1. Geriatric depression scale temple university sites. Geriatric depression scale an overview sciencedirect. Geriatric depression scale short form geriatric assessment tool kit.
Sf consists of 15 questions requiring yes or no answers and can be completed quickly see the tool on page 67. Geriatric depression scale long form score calculator. The geriatric depression scale was developed to give a simple, easy to use approach to screening for depression in older adults. Geriatric depression scale short form 1 tools may be copied without permission instructions. Columbia university school of social work 622 west 1th street new york, ny 10025. Geriatric depression scale long form patients name. Do you prefer to stay at home rather than going out and doing new things. Because the oasis, which one study has suggested may fail to identify depression in many people,2 is a checklist and doesnt include detailed questions on mood, the nurse decides to administer the geriatric depression scale. Results of the geriatric depression scale explained the.
How to use 15item screening tool used to identify depression in older adults used with healthy, medically ill and mild to moderately cognitively impaired adults extensively used in community, acute and long. Person answers yn questions related to how one has felt over the past week. It has been designed for the assessment of depressive symptomatology in elderly people and excludes any questions relating to the physical symptoms of depression common in old age. A psychiatric evaluation is the next step to assessing the severity of the persons depression so that treatment options can be discussed. Geriatric depression scale gds geriatric depression scale short form gdssf short forms of the gds with 1, 3, 4, 10 and 15 questions have been developed compared to the 30 questions as seen in the original form of the scale.
Development and validation of a geriatric depression screening scale. It has been designed for the assessment of depressive symptomatology in. Geriatric depression scale gds short form choose the best answer for how you have felt over the past week. Screening for depression among acutely ill geriatric inpatients with a short geriatric depression scale. Geriatric depression scale short form about dementia pathways. There are two forms of the geriatric depression scale. The shortened form is comprised of 15 items chosen from the geriatric depression scale long form gdsl. Circle the answer that best describes how you felt over the past.
Later versions retain only the most discriminating questions. Pdf the long form and the short form of the geriatric depression scale gds were compared in a va nursing home popula tion. The geriatric depression scale gds is a 30item selfreport assessment used to identify depression in the elderly. What is the geriatric depression scale and why is it. Pdf geriatric depression scale long form helen aurellano. University of pittsburgh, palliative care education working group, geriatric education center of. Therefore, it taps the affective and behavioral symptoms of depression. Geriatric depression scale content and scoring verywell mind. The geriatric depression scale gds was designed specifically to screen for depression in geriatric populations. A score of 5 or more indicates the likelihood of depression and the need for.