Experience with a Swedish version of the Geriatric Depression Scale in primary care centres

✍ Scribed by G. G. Gottfries; Sven Noltorp; Niels Nørgaard

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1997
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 127 KB
• Volume: 12
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0885-6230
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1099-1166(199710)12:10<1029::aid-gps683>3.0.co;2-d

✦ Synopsis

Objective:

The purpose of this study was to use a swedish version of the geriatric depression scale (gds-20) for diagnosis of depression in the elderly in primary care.

Design:

Elderly consecutive patients visiting two primary care centres (> or = 65 years of age; n = 1189) were rated by educated nurses using the gds-20.

Setting:

All elderly patients attending two primary care centres in an urban-based community in the south of sweden.

Patients:

Of the 1189 patients interviewed, 1002 were rated using the gds-20.

Measures:

The gds-20, and in 26 patients also the geriatric mental state schedule--depression scale (gmss-ds).

Results:

Of 1002 rated patients, 93 had scores of 5 or above on the gds-20. further analysis showed that 158 (13.3%) suffered from affective disorders.

Conclusion:

Depression in the elderly is underdiagnosed in primary care centres. a screening instrument such as the gds-20 is of value in identifying the patients.