Diagnostic performance of the Geriatric Depression Scale and the Beck Depression Inventory with nursing home residents

This study compared the diagnostic performance of the Beck Depression Inven tory (BDI) and the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) in correctly identifyin g depressed and nondepressed older people who are nursing home residents wi thout cognitive disorders. At the usual cut-off scores of 10 and II, sensit ivity was 96.30 per cent for the BDI and 88.89 per cent for the GDS, while their specificity rates were 46.15 and 56.41 per cent respectively. Using R eceiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) curves, the results obtained using these scales were compared with the diagnosis of psychiatric disorder accor ding to the DSM-III-R. Contrary to the hypothesis, no difference was found between the area under the ROC for the BDI (Az =.87; SD =.04) and for the G DS (Az =.85; SD =.05). The exclusion of the somatic items, or the somatic f actor, did not change the diagnostic performance of the BDI. Indices of tem poral stability, concurrent validity and agreement with clinical diagnoses also confirmed the reliability and validity of these two scales for older p eople living in nursing homes.