Die Kriteriumsvalidität der 15-Item Ger...

Objective The Geriatric Depression Scale consisting of 15 items (GDS-15) is a well-known screening tool for depression among the elderly. Until now the criterion validity of the German language GDS-15 was not investigated in a sample of the adult general population.

Methods 504 persons of the Austrian general population completed the GDS-15. Using the Schedules for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry (SCAN) ICD-10 diagnoses were established. Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) analysis was conducted. Possible gender and age differences were explored.

Results The overall discrimination of the GDS-15 was sufficient (ROC-AUC 0,851). The cut-off value developed on the basis of our sample was 2/3 with a sensitivity of 71.8% und a specificity of 82.8%. We could not find significant gender or age group differences.

Conclusion This is the first study investigating the criterion validity of the German language GDS-15 in the adult general population. The sensitivity and specificity are sufficient and comparable with the findings among other screening tools.