The geriatric depression scale: Rater‐administered or self‐administered?

Abstract

Abstract A need exists for a simple screening instrument for depression in the elderly which may be applicable in mild to moderate dementia. The GDS is a simple 30‐item instrument whose role in screening for depression in dementia is controversial. This may relate to problems with its use as a self‐administered questionnaire with unclear guidelines as to which subjects may be aided by the rater. We assessed the GDS as a staff‐administered and a self‐administered instrument in 100 elderly medical patients. There was a significant difference between the mean scores for each mode of presentation. This may account in part for the discrepancies between published studies on the GDS in dementia. In the absence of strict guidelines for the original mixed mode of application, the GDS should be considered as a staff‐administered questionnaire exclusively.