Usefulness of two instruments in assessing depression among elderly Mexicans in population studies and for primary care

• Published in: Salud pública de México 2008-11, Vol.50 (6), p.447-456
• Main Authors: Sánchez-García, Sergio, Juárez-Cedillo, Teresa, García-González, José Juan, Espinel-Bermúdez, Claudia, Gallo, Joseph J, Wagner, Fernando A, Vázquez-Estupiñán, Felipe, García-Peña, Carmen
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Depression - diagnosis; Depressive Disorder - diagnosis; Female; Health Personnel - statistics & numerical data; Health Policy & Services; Humans; Interview, Psychological - methods; Interviews as Topic; Male; Mexico - epidemiology; Middle Aged; Observer Variation; Population Surveillance - methods; Primary Health Care - methods; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; Psychiatry - statistics & numerical data; Sampling Studies; Sensitivity and Specificity; Severity of Illness Index; Socioeconomic Factors; Urban Population - statistics & numerical data
• ISSN: 0036-3634; 1606-7916
• DOI: 10.1590/S0036-36342008000600005

To determine the psychometric qualities of the CES-DR and GDS scales in the elderly and compare them to clinical psychiatric diagnoses. The first phase consisted of home interviews for determining the psychometric qualities of the GDS and CES-DR scales. In the second phase, psychiatrists conducted diagnostic interviews. The sample consisted of 534 participants older than 60 years of age insured by the Mexican Institute of Social Security. First phase: Cronbach's alpha for the GDS was 0.87 and 0.86 for CES-DR. The GDS factorial analysis found eight factors that could explain 53.5% of the total variance and nine factors that explained 57.9% in the CES-DR. Second phase: Compared to the psychiatric diagnoses, CES-DR reported a sensitivity of 82% and a specificity of 49.2%; GDS reported 53.8% sensitivity and 78.9% specificity. CES-DR and GDS scales have high reliability and adequate validity but the CES-DR reports higher sensitivity.