- lzeefe
Depression in the Elderly Often Overlooked - Screening for Depression

Common causes of depression in the elderly are:
Loss/death of a spouse or partner
Loss/death of family members
Loss/death of friends
Loss/death of a pet
Loss of health/functional limitations of activities of daily living
Social isolation
Addiction
Family history
Selling/leaving home for a facility
Screening for Depression: Geriatric Depression Scale, Mood Scale (short form)
Geriatric Depression Scale (short form) Instructions: Circle the answer that best describes how you felt over the past week.
1. Are you basically satisfied with your life? yes no
2. Have you dropped many of your activities and interests? yes no
3. Do you feel that your life is empty? yes no
4. Do you often get bored? yes no
5. Are you in good spirits most of the time? yes no
6. Are you afraid that something bad is going to happen to you? yes no
7. Do you feel happy most of the time? yes no
8. Do you often feel helpless? yes no
9. Do you prefer to stay at home, rather than going out and doing things? yes no
10. Do you feel that you have more problems with memory than most? yes no
11. Do you think it is wonderful to be alive now? yes no
12. Do you feel worthless the way you are now? yes no
13. Do you feel full of energy? yes no
14. Do you feel that your situation is hopeless? yes no
15. Do you think that most people are better off than you are? yes no
Total Score
Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) Scoring Instructions Instructions: Score 1 point for each bolded answer. A score of 5 or more suggests depression. Scores of 10 or more are almost always depression.