title: Screening for depression among a well elderly population.
abstract: This article describes a geriatric wellness program in which social work practitioners played a major role. The focus of this article is twofold: to examine the use of a telephone screening test for depression among a well elderly population and to compare the results of that screening with the clinical judgment of social workers. Overall findings indicated that a telephone screening instrument incorporating the Rand Mental Health Inventory and the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale was an efficient tool for assessing a population with a higher rate of major depression. Furthermore, the social workers identified many previously undetected cases of major depression, and a majority of people referred for treatment completed those referrals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Welfare, University of California-Los Angeles 90024, USA.
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Dorfman
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Lubben
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mayer-Oakes
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Atchison
authors.forename: S O
authors.initials: SO
authors.lastname: Schweitzer
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: De Jong
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Matthias
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002140:California / Q000453:epidemiology; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011594:Psychometrics; D012307:Risk Factors; D012947:Social Work; D013689:Telephone