Geriatric Depression Scale Content and Scoring

Geriatric Depression Scale Content and Scoring Depression Diagnosis Print Overview of the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) Content, Scoring, and Accuracy of the GDS By Esther Heerema, MSW facebook twitter linkedin Esther Heerema, MSW, shares practical tips gained from working with hundreds of people whose lives are touched by Alzheimers disease and other kinds of dementia. Learn about our editorial policy Esther Heerema, MSW Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Daniel B. Block, MD on January 28, 2020 twitter linkedin Daniel B. Block, MD, is an award-winning, board-certified psychiatrist who operates a private practice in Pennsylvania. Learn about our Medical Review Board Daniel B. Block, MD on January 28, 2020 HBSS / Getty Images More in Depression Diagnosis Causes Symptoms Treatment Types Childhood Depression Suicide In This Article Table of Contents Expand Available Forms Scoring Cost, Training, and Accuracy View All Back To Top The Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) is a screening test originally developed by J.A. Yesavage and colleagues in 1982 that is used  to identify  symptoms of depression in older adults. The scale is a 30-item, self-report instrument that uses a Yes/No format. It can be used with healthy adults, medically ill adults, and those with mild to moderate cognitive impairments. The GDS is frequently used in acute, long-term, and community settings, often part of a comprehensive geriatric assessment.   While a depression diagnosis should not be given based on the result of the GDS alone, it is often included as part of a diagnostic assessment due to the scales established reliability and validity.?? So what does the Geriatric Depression Scale measure that sets it apart from depression screening instruments used in younger populations? While somatic symptoms such as weight loss, pessimism about the future, and sleep disturbances are common depressive symptoms among younger people, such symptoms are often also related to the aging process itself among older adults. In order to screen for symptoms of depression rather than factors associated with aging, the GDS focuses specifically on psychiatric rather than somatic symptoms. Available Forms of the GDS The GDS is available in a long-form that consists of 30 questions, and a more commonly used short form that has 15 questions. There is also a  five-item GDS that research has shown to be comparable to the 15-question form in terms of effectively identifying depression. The GDS consists of questions that assess a persons level of enjoyment, interest, social interactions and more. Questions on the Scale Choose the best answer for how you have felt over the past week:1. Are you basically satisfied with your life? YES / NO2. Have you dropped many of your activities and interests? YES / NO3. Do you feel that your life is empty? YES / NO4. Do you often get bored? YES / NO5. Are you in good spirits most of the time? YES / NO6. Are you afraid that something bad is going to happen to you? YES / NO7. Do you feel happy most of the time? YES / NO8. Do you often feel helpless? YES / NO9. Do you prefer to stay at home, rather than going out  and doing new things? YES / NO10. Do you feel you have more problems with memory than most? YES / NO11. Do you think it is wonderful to be alive now?  YES / NO12. Do you feel pretty worthless the way you are now?  YES / NO13. Do you feel full of energy?  YES / NO14. Do you feel that your situation is hopeless?  YES / NO15. Do you think that most people are better off than you are?  YES / NO How Depression Tests Work How the GDS Is Scored A point is given for each answer that indicates depression. For example, in the above questions, one point would be given if the person answered no for the first question and yes for the second question. The GDS form usually has the answer that could indicate depression underlined or bolded, to indicate the responses for which a point is given. For the short form above, a score of above five points suggests depression. An answer of Yes on questions 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 10, 12, 14, and 15 or a No response to questions 1, 5, 7, 11, and 13 are indicative of depressive symptoms in an older adult. A score of over five points indicates a need for follow-up evaluation, while a score over 10 almost always indicates depression. On the full 30-question long-form, a score is considered normal if its between 0â€"9; an indicator of mild depression is between 10â€"19, and a positive for severe depression is between 20â€"30. If youre using the five-item version, a score of two or more is indicative of depression. Cost, Training, and Accuracy Because the development of the scale was funded in part by the Federal government, the GDS is considered public domain and is free to use. In addition to being free, the GDS requires very little training to administer. In fact, the GDS  can even be self-administered. According to multiple research studies, both the long and the short form GDS are quite accurate at identifying depression in older people. As a result, the GDS has been translated into several different languages, several of which have been validated by research as being accurate in identifying depression. Using the GDS for People With Dementia The International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry published research that studied the effectiveness of the GDS when it came to assessing depression levels in people with dementia. It found that in addition to accurately identifying depression in people whose cognition was intact, the GDS could also accurately be used to screen for depression in people whose Mini-Mental State Exam (a questionnaire that is used to measure cognitive impairment) scores were at 15 or above.?? Research has found that the GDS can be used in the early to middle stages of Alzheimers with accuracy. How Depression Is Measured in People With Dementia