Objective: The purpose of this study was to use a Swedish version of the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-20) for diagnosis of depression in the elderly in primary care.
Design: Elderly consecutive patients visiting two primary care centres (> or = 65 years of age; N = 1189) were rated by educated nurses using the GDS-20.
Setting: All elderly patients attending two primary care centres in an urban-based community in the south of Sweden.
Patients: Of the 1189 patients interviewed, 1002 were rated using the GDS-20.
Measures: The GDS-20, and in 26 patients also the Geriatric Mental State Schedule--Depression Scale (GMSS-DS).
Results: Of 1002 rated patients, 93 had scores of 5 or above on the GDS-20. Further analysis showed that 158 (13.3%) suffered from affective disorders.
Conclusion: Depression in the elderly is underdiagnosed in primary care centres. A screening instrument such as the GDS-20 is of value in identifying the patients.