Reliability of the Yesavage Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15) in Older Adults from Chilpancingo, Guerrero

Objective: To determine the internal consistency reliability of the Yesavage Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15) for screening purposes in older adults (OA) from the urban area of Chilpancingo, Guerrero, Mexico. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional reliability study of internal consistency was conducted with 300 older adults selected by convenience sampling (n=300, 57.8% female, mean age=76.7 years, SD=1.60). The depression section of the Health, Well-being, and Aging Survey (SABE) was administered. Reliability analysis was performed using the Kuder-Richardson-20 (KR-20) coefficient with 95% confidence intervals. Results: The overall KR-20 coefficient was 0.82 (95% CI: 0.79–0.85), indicating good internal consistency. Positive items showed KR-20=0.75 (acceptable), while negative items yielded KR-20=0.69 (lower limit of acceptability). Prevalence of depressive symptomatology in the sample was high, with affirmative responses exceeding 80% on 7 of the 15 items. Conclusions: The GDS-15 demonstrates adequate psychometric properties for depression screening in OA from urban areas of Guerrero. Its systematic implementation in primary care centers is recommended, with particular emphasis on training nursing staff for proper administration and interpretation. Future studies should evaluate criterion validity and establish population-specific cutoff points.