A Preliminary Report on the Validation of the Geriatric Depression Scale in Arabic

Abstract

Abstract The validity of an Arabic translation of the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) is examined in this preliminary report. The GDS and Mini-Mental Status Exam (MMSE) were administered to 200 elderly Arab-Americans, and the GDS Collateral (GDSCOL) was completed by related informants. The prediction of GDS from GDSCOL scores was significant at the p < .01 level, with addition of the MMSE scores providing a slight increment in prediction. With reported prior diagnosis of depression as a criterion, the specificity of the scales is strong (GDS = .90, GDSCOL = .91), but the sensitivity appeared relatively low. Factors derived from the GDS paralleled those found in prior studies. Additional research is needed to evaluate concordance of the self-report GDS with psychiatrically determined diagnosis of depression. Key Words: GeriatricdepressionArabicself-reportinformant report