Test characteristics of 7 instruments for detecting major depression in older adults in primary care
| Instrument (number of trials) | Description (cutpoints) | Sensitivity | Specificity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Geriatric Depression Scale (9) | Primarily 15 items, yes/no format (3–5) | 79–100% | 67–80% |
| Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale (5) | 20 items ranking symptom frequency (9–21) | 75–93% | 73–87% |
| SelfCARE(D) (3) | 12 item Likert scale (5) | 77–90% | 53–98% |
| Caribbean Culture-Specific Screen (2) | Number of items not reported (5–6) | 82–92% | 68–79% |
| Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia (1) | Number of items not reported (7) | 90% | 75% |
| 1-question screen (from Mental Health Inventory of the SF-36) (1) | 1 item, 6 point scale (2) | 67% | 60% |
| Brief Assessment Schedule Depression Cards (1) | Number of items not reported (6) | 92% | 84% |