ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the mini-GDS and the CES-D as instruments to detect depression in elderly hospitalized patients in emergency wards in France. METHODS: The CES-D was used on two cohorts of 60 non-cognitively impaired patients aged 70 or more. The mini-GDS was also used on the second of the two cohorts administered by a medical intern. These ratings were compared with a diagnosis of depressive disorder by ICD-10 criteria. RESULTS: The study population had a high (58%) prevalence of depression and a low level of active psychiatric referral. Mini-GDS and CES-D scores were well correlated (0.72, p < 0.001); the mini-GDS, with a cutoff score of 1, gave optimum sensitivity (88%) and specificity (63%). CONCLUSION: The use of the mini-GDS may aid the detection of depression in patients in emergency wards.
