A short screen for depression: the AB Clinician Depression Screen (ABCDS)

International Psychogeriatrics
D William MolloyAlwin Cunje

Abstract

Depression is common in elderly people but physicians may not screen for it because of the length of time required by current screening instruments. We have developed a short screening instrument for depression for use in elderly people with normal cognition, mild cognitive impairment or early dementia. Participants were aged 55 years or more, had scored 20 or more on the standardized Mini-mental State Examination (SMMSE) and had been referred to a specialist geriatric outpatient memory clinic. Scores on the 30-item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) were analyzed. A composite GDS score, consisting of the top five individual question scores that correlated to depression (GDS >or= 14), were analyzed using a receiver operating curve analysis. There were 810 patients with SMMSE scores of 20 or greater, of whom 202 (24.9%) scored 14 or more on the GDS, indicating depression. GDS question 16, "Do you often feel downhearted and blue?," had the highest correlation with the overall scores of 14 or more on the 30-point instrument (r = 0.64, p < 0.001). The next four questions with the highest correlates were Q10, "Do you often feel helpless?" (r = 0.56, p < 0.001), Q3, "Do you feel that your life is empty?" (r = 0.54, p < 0.001), Q9, "Do ...Continue Reading

Citations

Jul 30, 2008·Palliative & Supportive Care·Gregory B Crawford, Julie A Robinson
Nov 29, 2017·Frontiers in Medicine·Laetitia TeixeiraConstança Paúl
Sep 29, 2019·International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health·Helen MannionRónán O'Caoimh

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