title: Development of a brief validated geriatric depression screening tool: the SLU "AM SAD".
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Combining five commonly observed symptoms of late-life depression to develop a short depression screening tool with similar sensitivity and specificity as the conventional, more time-consuming tools.
  
  
  METHODS
  We developed the St. Louis University AM SAD (Appetite, Mood, Sleep, Activity, and thoughts of Death) questionnaire. The frequency of each symptom in the prior 2 weeks is quantified as 0, 1, or 2. Patients 65 years or older from our clinics were administered the AM SAD, the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15), the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS), and the St. Louis University Mental Status Exam (SLUMS).
  
  
  RESULTS
  100 patients were selected. AM SAD correlation with GDS was 0.72 and MADRS 0.80. AM SAD yielded a sensitivity and specificity of 79% and 62% against diagnosis of depression; of 88% and 62% with GDS-15; and 92% and 71% with MADRS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The AM SAD can be reliably used as a short depression screening tool in patients with a SLUMS score of 20 or higher.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, St. Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO.
authors.forename: Binu
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Chakkamparambil
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, St. Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO.
authors.forename: John T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Chibnall
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, St. Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO.
authors.forename: Ernest A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Graypel
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, St. Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO.
authors.forename: Jothika N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Manepalli
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatric Medicine, St. Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO.
authors.forename: Asif
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bhutto
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, St. Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO. Electronic address: grossbgt@slu.edu.
authors.forename: George T
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Grossberg
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000295:instrumentation*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Depression; geriatric; short screening tool