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The prevalence of depression in geriatric medical outpatients.

One hundred and fifty-nine patients attending a geriatric medical outpatient clinic were screened for depression using the geriatric depression scale (GDS) and brief assessment schedule depression cards (BASDEC). Twenty-two (13.8%) patients screened positive with one or other test, 13 (8.2%) being positive with both screening tests. There was a highly significant correlation between the two screening tests but the BASDEC instrument was quicker and easier to administer. Eighteen of 22 patients who screened as positive proved to have clinical depression. On subsequent re-testing of 17 of these patients 4-6 weeks later, eight were still positive, but nine patients were now negative and subjectively felt better. These findings suggest the possibility of a transient mood disturbance occurring in elderly patients akin to recurrent brief depression seen in younger subjects, and have implications for starting therapy in apparently depressed elderly people.