The Prevalence of Depression in Geriatric Medical Outpatients

Abstract

One hundred and fifty-nine patients attending a geriatric medical outpatient clinic were screened for depression using the geriatric depression scale (GDS) and brief assessment schedule depression cards (BASDEC). Twenty-two (13.8%) patients screened positive with one or other test, 13 (8.2%) being positive with both screening tests. There was a highly significant correlation between the two screening tests but the BASDEC instrument was quicker and easier to administer. Eighteen of 22 patients who screened as positive proved to have clinical depression. On subsequent re-testing of 17 of these patients 4-6 weeks later, eight were still positive, but nine patients were now negative and subjectively felt better. These findings suggest the possibility of a transient mood disturbance occurring in elderly patients akin to recurrent brief depression seen in younger subjects, and have implications for starting therapy in apparently depressed elderly people.

The quality of life and factors associated with it in the medically hospitalised elderly

“…In some studies of medically hospitalised patients, elderly people with somewhat reduced cognitive functioning have been excluded (Koenig, George, Peterson, & Pieper, 1997;Koenig, Meador, Cohen, & Blazer, 1988;McCrea, Arnold, Marchevsky, & Kaufman, 1994). In this study, we included the patients as long as they did not have severe dementia (CDR ¼ 3) (Morris, 1993).…”

Computerized Touch-panel Screening Tests for Detecting Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer's Disease

“…The GDS includes a screening questionnaire for depression and anxiety. The total scores range from 0 to 15, with higher scores indicating more severe symptoms of depression (14,15). The AS scores range from 0 to 42, with higher scores indicating more severe apathy.…”

Management of depression in elderly stroke patients

“…It has shown a very good sensitivity (>0.80), specificity (>0.90), and accuracy in predicting clinical results of medically ill elderly patients 79. Both GDS and BASDEC are not time-consuming to administer, and they are relatively free of somatic symptoms 80. Adshead et al78 showed that agreement between the 2 scales was high.…”

“…Adshead et al78 showed that agreement between the 2 scales was high. However, McCrea et al80 found that BASDEC was easier to administer. In a systematic review, Hackett and Anderson64 recommended that the gold standard method for diagnosis PSD is using a semistructured psychiatric interview, which meets all the standards needed for a specific diagnostic criterion (such as DSM criteria or International Classification of Diseases).…”