Resources

Screening Forms

• CES-D Scale

  The Center for Epidemologic Studies of the National Institute of Mental Health developed this short self-report rating to assess symptoms of depression in the general population. The rating sheet asks an individual to report the frequency with which each of 20 events was experienced during the previous week. The individual simply circles the number next to each item that best reflects how frequently that event was experienced in the past seven days. Testing has rated this rating scale more reliable than other scales for African Americans and Latinos.

  Rating Sheet

• GDS

  The Geriatric Depression Screening scale was developed as a basic screening measure for depression in older adults by Yesavage and Brink.² There are two forms, short and long. Below is a copy of the short form. Have the older person using the scale choose the best answer for how that individual felt over the past week.

  Answers at the bottom of the scale indicate possible depression. Although differing sensitivities and specificities have been obtained across studies, for clinical purposes, a score of more than 5 points suggests that the person may be experiencing depression and strongly suggests a follow-up interview. Scores totaling more than 10 points usually indicate the older person felt depressed. Again, only a competent mental-health professional can make a reliable clinical diagnosis of depression.

  Depression Self-Assessment

² Yesavage, J.A., Brink, T.L., Rose, T.L., Lum, O., Huang, V., Adey, M.B., and Leirer, V.O.(1983) "Development and validation of a geriatric depression screening scale: A preliminary report." Journal of Psychiatric Research 17: 37-49.