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Psychology: Research and Review

Table 3 Frequency of people with problems in each GDS item and diagnosis of depression

From: Multi-ethnic validation of 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale in Chile

Percentage of people with problems in each item

Non-indigenous

Aymara

Mapuche

 

N

%

N

%

N

%

p

1. Satisfied with your life? (No)

36

15.6a

10

5.0b

27

7.3b

< 0.001

2. Dropped many of your activities and interests? (Yes)

127

55.0a

54

26.9b

181

49.2a

< 0.001

3. Feel that your life is empty? (Yes)

47

20.3a

14

7.0b

49

13.3a,b

< 0.001

4. Get bored? (Yes)

96

41.6a

71

35.3a

75

20.4b

< 0.001

5. In good spirits most of the time? (No)

64

27.7a

25

12.4b

89

24.2a

< 0.001

6. Afraid that something bad is going to happen? (Yes)

96

41.6a

68

33.8a,b

96

26.1b

< 0.001

7. Feel happy most of the time? (No)

70

30.3a

28

13.9b

70

19.0b

< 0.001

8. Feel helpless? (Yes)

58

25.1a

27

13.4b

80

21.7a

0.009

9. Prefer to stay at home? (Yes)

123

53.2a

67

33.3b

176

47.8a

< 0.001

10. More problems with memory than most? (Yes)

36

15.6a

33

16.4a

110

29.9b

< 0.001

11. It is wonderful to be alive now? (No)

38

16.5a

11

5.5b

52

14.1a

0.001

12. Pretty worthless the way you are now? (Yes)

55

23.8a

18

9.0b

62

16.8a

< 0.001

13. Full of energy? (No)

131

56.7a

56

27.9b

145

39.4c

< 0.001

14. Feel that your situation is hopeless? (Yes)

60

26.0a

21

10.4b

82

22.3a

< 0.001

15. Most people are better off than you are? (Yes)

53

22.9a,b

37

18.4b

109

29.6a

0.009

Diagnosis of depressive symptoms

      

< 0.001

 Normal (0–4 points)

141

61.0a

159

79.1b

246

66.8a

 

 Mild depression (5–9 points)

50

21.6a

36

17.4a

94

25.5a

 

 Moderate-to-severe depression (10–15 points)

40

17.3a

6

3.0b

28

7.6b

 
  1. Chi-squared test with Bonferroni correction. Superscript letters indicate significantly different values