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Tags: Psychology , Psychometrics
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Geriatric Depression Scale fifteen item is a brief questionnaire that reflects mood and outlook in later life. It helps identify patterns that may affect energy, interest, and social connection.

You answer fifteen yes or no statements about the past week and then review a total score that falls into a normal, mild, moderate, or severe band. Many people know it as a short depression screening for older adults and use it to track change over time.

Results highlight the overall score and simple subscores that group related items, so you can see whether feelings of low energy, social withdrawal, or worry are more prominent. A quick look at the band gives a first sense of severity, and the subscores point to where small changes might help.

For example, a person who reports emptiness, worry, and staying home more may score eight and land in a mild band, which suggests trying small daily activities and light social contact. Someone with very few endorsed concerns may score near zero and continue current routines.

Answer consistently and think about the same seven day window each time to make comparisons fair. Small day to day shifts are normal, so look for trends that persist across a few checks.

This tool provides informational estimates and does not substitute professional advice. If you are worried about safety or well being, please speak with a qualified health care professional. Your responses stay on your device.

Technical Details:

The assessment measures self‑reported depressive symptoms using 15 dichotomous items. A total score summarizes symptom burden over a recent one‑week period, and a severity band labels the result for quick reading.

Each item is scored 0 or 1. Items phrased positively are reverse‑scored so that “No” adds a point and “Yes” does not. The total is the sum across all items and ranges from 0 to 15.

Interpretation uses four bands: 0–4 normal, 5–8 mild, 9–11 moderate, 12–15 severe. Subscores group items into six practical areas—positive affect, mood and outlook, anxiety and helplessness, social engagement, cognition, and self‑worth—to surface drivers and strengths.

s_i = { 1 if (a_i=Y)⊕r_i=1 0 otherwise T = ∑ (i=1) ^15 s_i
Symbol Meaning Unit/Datatype Source
N Number of items (15) count constant
i Item index 1…15 derived
ai Answer for item i (Y or N) enum input
ri Reverse‑scored flag for item i boolean constant
si Item score after reverse logic 0 or 1 derived
T Total GDS‑15 score 0…15 derived
Worked example:

Reverse‑scored items are 1, 5, 7, 11, 13. Suppose the answers are:

1:Y 2:N 3:Y 4:N 5:N 6:Y 7:Y 8:N 9:Y 10:N 11:N 12:Y 13:N 14:N 15:Y

Item scores become 0, 0, 1, 0, 1, 1, 0, 0, 1, 0, 1, 1, 1, 0, 1.

T=8

A total of 8 falls in the mild band. Focus on re‑introducing small pleasant activities and light social contact.

Threshold band Lower bound Upper bound Interpretation Action cue
Normal 0 4 No evidence of depression. Maintain helpful routines and connections.
Mild 5 8 Some depressive symptoms present. Try small daily activities and earlier daylight.
Moderate 9 11 Meaningful symptom burden. Consider speaking with a professional.
Severe 12 15 High symptom burden. Seek a timely professional evaluation.

Units, precision & rounding:

  • Total is an integer from 0 to 15; subscores are integers within each group.
  • Progress percentage rounds to the nearest whole percent.
  • Decimal separator does not apply; no fractional values are computed.

Validation & bounds extracted from code:

Field Type Min Max Step/Pattern Error text Placeholder
Response per item enum (Y or N) — — exactly one selection — —
Encoded responses (query param r) string length 15 length 15 ^[YN\-]{15}$ invalid strings are ignored ---------------

I/O formats:

Input Accepted families Output Encoding/precision Rounding
Fifteen yes/no item responses button selections Total score, severity band, subscores, highlights integers; band labels nearest whole percent for progress
Optional encoded string query parameter r Restored responses 15‑char Y/N/‑ —

Networking & storage behavior:

  • Processing is client‑only; the page does not transmit responses to a server.
  • Answers can be copied or downloaded for personal records if desired.

Diagnostics & determinism:

  • Identical inputs always produce identical totals, bands, and subscores.
  • The charting layer renders a single‑value gauge driven by the total score.

Assumptions & limitations:

  • Self‑report format can be influenced by recall and context.
  • Designed for a recent seven‑day window; other time frames reduce comparability.
  • Subscores are practical groupings for insight rather than diagnostic scales.
  • Borderline values near thresholds may vary on retest.
  • Not intended to assess risk or provide crisis guidance.
  • Does not capture duration, onset, or impairment beyond item content.
  • Single time point; trends require repeated use under similar conditions.
  • Heads‑up Validity does not imply a clinical diagnosis.

Edge cases & error sources:

  • Changing the reference week between uses.
  • Skipping items or selecting multiple responses per item.
  • Very rapid answering that does not reflect typical days.
  • Scores exactly at 4, 8, or 11 switching bands between sessions.
  • Interpreting subscores as standalone diagnoses.
  • Copy or download blocked by clipboard or file permissions.
  • Encoded string containing characters outside Y, N, or minus.
  • Sharing screenshots without context about the time frame.
  • Device text size settings clipping long labels.
  • Unavailable chart rendering when scripts fail to load.

Step‑by‑Step Guide:

Geriatric Depression Scale 15 measures recent mood and returns a total score and band for quick interpretation.

  1. Answer each of the fifteen items for the past week.
  2. Review the total score and band label.
  3. Scan subscores to spot areas with more endorsed items.
  4. Read highlights and suggested next steps.
  5. Optionally copy or download your answers for personal notes.

Example: A total of 6 displays in the mild band with suggestions to add small enjoyable activities and earlier daylight.

Use the same reference week on repeat checks to compare change over time.

FAQ:

Is my data stored?

No. Responses are processed on your device and are not sent to a server. You may copy or download your answers if you want a record.

Keep personal information secure when sharing results.
How accurate is the result?

It reflects how many symptom statements you endorsed. Borderline totals can vary on retest, so consider consistent conditions and repeated checks.

Results do not constitute a clinical diagnosis.
What do the subscores mean?

They group items into practical areas to highlight drivers and strengths. They support interpretation but are not separate diagnostic scales.

Can I use it without a connection?

Once the page has loaded, scoring happens on your device. If a chart does not appear, reconnect and reload the page.

How do I share my results?

You can copy your answers or download them as a file and share that record if you choose.

What does a borderline score mean?

Scores near 4, 8, or 11 sit close to band edges and may shift with small changes. Recheck after a few days using the same reference week.

Is there any cost or license?

The package does not specify licensing terms. For clinical use, follow your organization’s policies and local regulations.

Check site or repository notes if available.

Troubleshooting:

  • No items appear — reload the page and check that scripts are allowed.
  • The progress bar does not advance — ensure each item has exactly one selection.
  • The gauge is missing — check connectivity and reload to initialize the chart.
  • Copy fails — allow clipboard access or use the download option instead.
  • Download fails — verify file permissions and try a different filename.
  • Encoded string does not restore answers — ensure it is exactly 15 characters of Y, N, or minus.

Advanced Tips:

  • Use a consistent weekday to reduce situational noise between checks.
  • Consider notes on sleep, activity, and social contact alongside totals.
  • Look for clusters in subscores to guide small, targeted changes.
  • Retest after meaningful routine changes to see whether scores shift.
  • Share totals or files only with people and services you trust.
  • Keep device text size reasonable so labels remain legible.

Glossary:

GDS‑15
The 15‑item Geriatric Depression Scale.
Reverse‑scored item
A positive statement where “No” adds a point.
Total score (T)
Sum of item scores from 0 to 15.
Severity band
Category that labels overall burden.
Subscore
Sum within a practical item group.
Encoded responses
Fifteen‑character Y/N/‑ string used to restore answers.