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Development and validation of a geriatric depression screening scale: A preliminary report
Jerome Albert Yesavage, T. L. Brink, Terrence L. Rose, Owen Lum, Virginia Huang, Michael Adey, Von O. Leirer. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 1982-01-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
This preliminary report describes the development, reliability, and validity testing of the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) designed specifically for rating depression in the elderly. A 30-question version selected from an initial 100-item questionnaire was readministered to elderly subjects classified as normal, mildly depressed, or severely depressed based on Research Diagnostic Criteria (RDC). The GDS, Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRS-D), and Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) were all internally consistent and correlated with RDC symptoms. The GDS and HRS-D correlated significantly better with RDC symptoms than the SDS, suggesting the GDS is a reliable and valid self-rating screening scale.
Key findings
- The GDS, HRS-D and SDS were all found to be internally consistent measures, and each of the scales was correlated with the subject's number of RDC symptoms.
- The GDS and the HRS-D were significantly better correlated with RDC symptoms than was the SDS.
- The authors suggest that the GDS represents a reliable and valid self-rating depression screening scale for elderly populations.
Why it matters
Develops and validates a screening scale for depression in older people, and the authors describe it as a preliminary report. Screening for depression is a measurement task, separate from treating or preventing Alzheimer's disease.
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 54/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Journal of Psychiatric Research) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | Journal of Psychiatric Research: journal h-index 220 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 1982 — older than 20 years, still counted |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 7 / 7 | Cited 15,068 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 5 / 5 | 327.6 citations a year over 46 year(s) since 1982 |
| Impact for its field and year | 2 / 6 | Cited 2.9× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 5 / 6 | Cited by 187 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 4 / 4 | Cited 1,700 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Von O. Leirer: h-index 29 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 3 / 3 | Stanford University: institution h-index 2,684 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 4 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 1 / 2 | Not in PubMed, but has a DOI |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 54 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1016/0022-3956(82)90033-4
- Original source →
- Free full text: Journal of Psychiatric Research →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record names 7 authors; APA and Vancouver show the first six, BibTeX and the downloads carry all of them. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Yesavage, J. A., Brink, T. L., Rose, T. L., Lum, O., Huang, V., Adey, M., et al. (1982). Development and validation of a geriatric depression screening scale: A preliminary report. Journal of Psychiatric Research. https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-3956(82)90033-4
Vancouver
Yesavage JA, Brink TL, Rose TL, Lum O, Huang V, Adey M, et al. Development and validation of a geriatric depression screening scale: A preliminary report. Journal of Psychiatric Research. 1982. doi:10.1016/0022-3956(82)90033-4.
BibTeX
@article{yesavage1982-b0fc81b8,
author = {Yesavage, Jerome Albert and Brink, T. L. and Rose, Terrence L. and Lum, Owen and Huang, Virginia and Adey, Michael and Leirer, Von O.},
title = {{Development and validation of a geriatric depression screening scale: A preliminary report}},
journal = {Journal of Psychiatric Research},
year = {1982},
doi = {10.1016/0022-3956(82)90033-4},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-3956(82)90033-4}
}
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