The reliability of three depression rating scales in a general population of Dutch older persons.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the reliability of three rating scales for assessing depressive symptoms in a community-based, non-clinically depressed older population.


METHODS
The study sample comprised of 302 independently living subjects aged 65 years or older. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the centre for epidemiologic studies depression scale (CES-D), the geriatric depression scale (GDS-15) and the Montgomery and Asberg depression rating scale (MADRS) at three time points: at baseline, after 13 weeks (except the GDS-15) and after 26 weeks. Three dimensions of reliability were compared: (i) internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha), (ii) reproducibility (Spearman correlations) and (iii) the intra- and inter-rater reliability (Spearman correlations to compare the differences between correlations of subjects tested by the same vs. different raters at three time points).


RESULTS
Cronbach's alpha was high for the CES-D (0.84), good for the MADRS (0.72) and relatively low for the GDS-15 (0.55). Reproducibility was also higher for the CES-D (0.71) than for the MADRS (0.61) and the GDS-15 (0.52). The rater had little influence on CES-D scores (intra/inter-rater ratio = 0.99). The GDS-15 and the MADRS, however, performed better when administered by the same rater.


CONCLUSIONS
The CES-D was the most reliable scale for measuring depressive symptoms in a non-clinically depressed older population.
van de Rest
Ondine
O
Division of Human Nutrition, Wageningen University, The Netherlands. Ondine.vandeRest@wur.nl
van der Zwaluw
Nikita
N
Beekman
Aartjan T F
AT
de Groot
Lisette C P G M
LC
Geleijnse
Johanna M
JM
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D005395:Fish Oils / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009426:Netherlands; D015588:Observer Variation; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000592:standards*; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results
D005395:Fish Oils