Geriatric Depression Screening During Inpatient Admissions
Brandi Galindo
The University of Texas at Arlington College of Nursing
In partial fulfillment of the requirements of
N5327 (401) Exploration of Science and Theories for Nursing
Ronda Mintz-Binder, DNP, RN CNE
October 12th, 2014
Geriatric Depression Screening During Inpatient Admissions
Geriatric Depression is a serious mental illness that requires proper screening and treatment. According to the Geriatric Mental Health Foundation, depression affects 15 out of 100 persons 65 years and older, with a higher incidence in those who are hospitalized or in nursing homes (Geriatric Mental Health Foundation, 2014). Older adults have a greater risk for …show more content…
72 elderly patients at an inpatient gero-psychatric facility were given the GDS within the first 5 days of their admission. Upon their discharge, their charts were reviewed to determine if symptoms of major depression were present by using the DSM-III-R. After this chart review, 46 patients were found to suffer from major depressive disorder. This was then compared to the GDS administered at the beginning of their admission. Lesher and Berryhill found that the GDS had a sensitivity of .91 and a specificity of .54, making the overall percentage of the GDS forming the proper diagnosis 78% (p. 259). Based on these findings, Lesher and Berryhill concluded that the GDS is “very efficient and effective measure for screening of depression” (p. …show more content…
If left untreated, depression in the elderly can lead to exacerbation of chronic conditions, prolonged hospital stays, delays in healing, poor self-care and even death. Due to the high incidence of mis or under diagnosis, it is important to screen elderly patients at each inpatient hospital stay, so that they may receive the proper treatment, if needed. A review of the literature across the nursing, medicine and psychology disciplines has shown that the Geriatric Depression Scale is a highly valuable tool when screening for geriatric depression during inpatient admissions. It has shown to consistently have a high degree of validity and reliability, when used alone or in conjunction with other screening measures. Furthermore, the GDS allows for persons with mild cognitive impairment, whether due to illness or dementia, to be accurately
Brandi Galindo
The University of Texas at Arlington College of Nursing
In partial fulfillment of the requirements of
N5327 (401) Exploration of Science and Theories for Nursing
Ronda Mintz-Binder, DNP, RN CNE
October 12th, 2014
Geriatric Depression Screening During Inpatient Admissions
Geriatric Depression is a serious mental illness that requires proper screening and treatment. According to the Geriatric Mental Health Foundation, depression affects 15 out of 100 persons 65 years and older, with a higher incidence in those who are hospitalized or in nursing homes (Geriatric Mental Health Foundation, 2014). Older adults have a greater risk for …show more content…
72 elderly patients at an inpatient gero-psychatric facility were given the GDS within the first 5 days of their admission. Upon their discharge, their charts were reviewed to determine if symptoms of major depression were present by using the DSM-III-R. After this chart review, 46 patients were found to suffer from major depressive disorder. This was then compared to the GDS administered at the beginning of their admission. Lesher and Berryhill found that the GDS had a sensitivity of .91 and a specificity of .54, making the overall percentage of the GDS forming the proper diagnosis 78% (p. 259). Based on these findings, Lesher and Berryhill concluded that the GDS is “very efficient and effective measure for screening of depression” (p. …show more content…
If left untreated, depression in the elderly can lead to exacerbation of chronic conditions, prolonged hospital stays, delays in healing, poor self-care and even death. Due to the high incidence of mis or under diagnosis, it is important to screen elderly patients at each inpatient hospital stay, so that they may receive the proper treatment, if needed. A review of the literature across the nursing, medicine and psychology disciplines has shown that the Geriatric Depression Scale is a highly valuable tool when screening for geriatric depression during inpatient admissions. It has shown to consistently have a high degree of validity and reliability, when used alone or in conjunction with other screening measures. Furthermore, the GDS allows for persons with mild cognitive impairment, whether due to illness or dementia, to be accurately