Sex differences in the sensitivity of two self-report depression scales in older depressed inpatients.

Abstract

Both the Geriatric Depression Scale (J. A. Yesavage et al., 1983) and the Beck Depression Inventory (A. T. Beck, A. J. Rush, B. F. Shaw, & G. Emery, 1979) were less effective in identifying depressed men than women in a sample of 191 geriatric psychiatric inpatients with major unipolar depression. From one quarter to one half of the men were missed cases, depending on the cutoff score used. Separate cutoff scores for older men and women on depression screening instruments may be appropriate.

Screening for depression after cardiac events using the Beck Depression Inventory-II and the Geriatric Depression Scale

“…The alphas of 0.89 and 0.88 for the overall sample for BDI-II and GDS total scores, respectively, are satisfactory and consistent with previous research with older adults (Parmelee et al, 1989;Steer et al, 2000;Norris et al, 2004). Significantly higher mean scores on the BDI-II and GDS were found for women than men, which is consistent with previous research that found a gender difference in the means of the overall scores for the BDI-II with medical patients (Arnau et al, 2001) and for the GDS with older adults (Parmelee et al, 1989;Allen-Burge et al, 1994). In addition, for both the BDI-II and GDS, mean scores were significantly different between non-depressed and depressed participants for the SCID-I/NP diagnostic categories, providing criterion-related evidence to support the use of total scores to screen for depression in cardiac patients.…”

Differences in suicide behaviour in the elderly: a study in two provinces of Northern Italy

“…. However, the elderly, especially males, report depressed mood more infrequently than the adult and the young (Allen-Burge et al, 1994) and were less likely to have been known to psychiatric services (Salib and Green, 2003). In the province of Verbania a high prevalence of older people that correlate the suicide to mental disease has been found.…”

Screening for Suicide Ideation among Older Primary Care Patients

“…7 However, few at-risk older adults, particularly men, 14 spontaneously report symptoms of distress and/or thoughts of suicide, 15 which can impede the accurate detection of suicide risk. Primary care physicians often have difficulty asking their patients about sensitive topics such as suicide 16–20 ; however, they are more likely to do so with patients who present with symptoms of major depressive disorder or those who request an anti-depressant.…”

“…1,32–34 Furthermore, research supports more subtle approaches that can be used to assess the presence of suicide ideation among older adults 33 given their general tendency to downplay the presence and severity of depressive symptoms. 14,15 Hence, in the present study we assessed whether the GDS 29 has acceptable operating characteristics in identifying older primary care patients who express a desire for death or for suicide. We also examined potential sex differences in the scale’s accuracy given sex differences in older adults’ suicide ideation, 4,34 rates of suicide, 2,35 and symptom reporting.…”

“…We also examined potential sex differences in the scale’s accuracy given sex differences in older adults’ suicide ideation, 4,34 rates of suicide, 2,35 and symptom reporting. 14,35 …”