Screening for Depression in Old Age With Very Short Instruments: The DIA-S4 Compared to the GDS5 and GDS4

Purpose of the Study: This article presents a short form of the Depression in old Age Scale with four items (DIA-S4). The diagnostic accuracy of the DIA-S4 was tested and compared to short forms of the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS5, GDS4). Methods: Using the Montgomery and Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) as gold standard, the scales were validated with a sample of N = 331 geriatric inpatients. Results: The DIA-S4 had an internal consistency of .70, the GDS5 of .55, and the GDS4 of .58. The test efficiency considering ROC analyses for the DIAS-4 was AUC = .86, for the GDS5 AUC = .78, and for the GDS4 AUC = .74. The best cut-off score for the DIA-S4 was 1.5 with a sensitivity of 87% and a specificity of 68%, for the GDS4 1.5 with a sensitivity of 58% and a specificity of 81%, and for the GDS5 1.5 with a sensitivity of 88% and a specificity of 49%. Conclusion: Based on the data of this study, the DIA-S4 shows better psychometrical qualities than the GDS5 and the GDS4. It can be used as a very short screening scale for depression in old age in research and clinical practice.