The use of the Minimum Data Set to identify depression in the elderly.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether depression in the elderly in institutionalized settings could be identified using the mood indicators in the Minimum Data Set (MDS) 2.0 (Section E1, Items A-P).


METHODS
Descriptive study.


METHODS
Three nursing homes in the southeastern part of the country.


METHODS
Residents aged 65 and above.


METHODS
The items in "Indicators of Depression, Anxiety and Sad Mood" on the MDS 2.0 were used to identify observable features of depression in the elderly. The Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia (CSDD) was used to validate the MDS indicators. Consensus analysis, which controls raters' bias, raters' ability, and item difficulty, was used to analyze data.


RESULTS
No depressive patterns were detected using the MDS indicators. On the CSDD, distinct depressive features were identified: anxiety, sadness, lack of reaction to pleasant events, irritability, agitation, multiple physical complaints, loss of interest, appetite loss, and lack of energy.


CONCLUSIONS
The incongruent findings on the MDS indicators the CSDD may be reflective of the assessment process used with the MDS rather than its ability to identify features of elderly depression. The practice of allowing nondirect caregivers to complete the MDS may have serious implications for the accuracy of the data collected.
Hendrix
Cristina C
CC
Duke University School of Nursing, Durham, NC 27710, USA. hendr024@mc.duke.edu
Sakauye
Kenneth M
KM
Karabatsos
George
G
Daigle
Deborah
D
D000339:Affect; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards; D003625:Data Collection / Q000379:methods*; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D006707:Homes for the Aged; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017533:Marital Status / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D009730:Nursing Assessment / Q000379:methods; D009735:Nursing Homes; D009740:Nursing Staff / Q000193:education / Q000592:standards; D015588:Observer Variation; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000592:standards*; D015144:Southeastern United States