title: Do centenarians have higher levels of depression? Findings from the Georgia Centenarian Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine age differences on specific items and subscales of the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS).
  
  
  METHODS
  Specific items, subscales, and total score on the GDS of three age groups were compared.
  
  
  METHODS
  Community-dwelling older adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred thirty-nine centenarians were compared with 93 octogenarians and 91 sexagenarians.
  
  
  METHODS
  GDS scores.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results indicated age group differences in overall depression score and in withdrawal-apathy-vigor (WAV), cognitive impairment, and hopelessness subscale scores. Significant age group differences were also obtained for 12 of the 30 items. Centenarians rated higher on all subscales, but there was no difference in dysphoric mood and worry.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It is important to distinguish different dimensions of depression when assessing very old populations because some of the questions on the GDS are associated with fatigue, mild cognitive decline, and decline in physical functioning, which increase with aging. Future research should revisit the concept of depression in very late life.
authors.affiliation: Center on Aging, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 50011, USA.
authors.forename: Laura T
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Scheetz
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: Leonard W
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Poon
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D005845:Georgia; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires