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Sample پرسشنامه افسردگی سالمندان (GDS-15)

مقیاس افسردگی سالمندان یساویج در فرم کوتاه ۱۵ سؤالی (بله/خیر) درباره‌ی یک هفته‌ی گذشته؛ نمره‌ی ۰ تا ۱۵ با گویه‌های معکوس و سطح علائم خودکار حساب و برای پاسخ‌دهنده تفسیر می‌شود.

15 questions · Free up to 50 responses a month

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About this template

“پرسشنامه افسردگی سالمندان (GDS-15)” has 15 questions; every question is required. Question types: Single choice (15). 30 ready-made options across 15 choice questions, all editable in the online version.

Related:Standard questionnairesBuild an online questionnaireCronbach's alpha calculatorSample size calculation

Questions in this template

  1. 1.

    روی‌هم‌رفته از زندگی‌تان راضی هستید؟ *

    (Single choice)
    • بله
    • خیر
  2. 2.

    بسیاری از فعالیت‌ها و علاقه‌هایتان را کنار گذاشته‌اید؟ *

    (Single choice)
    • بله
    • خیر
  3. 3.

    احساس می‌کنید زندگی‌تان خالی است؟ *

    (Single choice)
    • بله
    • خیر
  4. 4.

    اغلب حوصله‌تان سر می‌رود؟ *

    (Single choice)
    • بله
    • خیر
  5. 5.

    بیشترِ اوقات سرحال و خوش‌روحیه هستید؟ *

    (Single choice)
    • بله
    • خیر
  6. 6.

    می‌ترسید اتفاقِ بدی برایتان بیفتد؟ *

    (Single choice)
    • بله
    • خیر
  7. 7.

    بیشترِ اوقات احساسِ شادی می‌کنید؟ *

    (Single choice)
    • بله
    • خیر
  8. 8.

    اغلب احساسِ درماندگی می‌کنید؟ *

    (Single choice)
    • بله
    • خیر
  9. 9.

    ترجیح می‌دهید در خانه بمانید تا اینکه بیرون بروید و کارهای تازه انجام دهید؟ *

    (Single choice)
    • بله
    • خیر
  10. 10.

    احساس می‌کنید بیشتر از اغلبِ مردم با حافظه‌تان مشکل دارید؟ *

    (Single choice)
    • بله
    • خیر
  11. 11.

    فکر می‌کنید اینکه حالا زنده‌اید فوق‌العاده است؟ *

    (Single choice)
    • بله
    • خیر
  12. 12.

    با وضعی که اکنون دارید، احساس می‌کنید تقریباً بی‌ارزش هستید؟ *

    (Single choice)
    • بله
    • خیر
  13. 13.

    احساس می‌کنید سرشار از انرژی هستید؟ *

    (Single choice)
    • بله
    • خیر
  14. 14.

    احساس می‌کنید وضعیتتان ناامیدکننده است؟ *

    (Single choice)
    • بله
    • خیر
  15. 15.

    فکر می‌کنید وضعِ بیشترِ مردم از شما بهتر است؟ *

    (Single choice)
    • بله
    • خیر

What does the GDS-15 measure?

Depressive symptoms in older adults over the past week, with simple yes/no questions. The questions cover mood, interest, hope, self-worth, energy and memory and do not ask about physical symptoms such as sleep or appetite. It is the 15-item short form of the Geriatric Depression Scale and is used for screening in geriatric care and research.

Number of items
15
Time to complete
5–7 minutes
Score range
0 to 15
Reversed items
1, 5, 7, 11, 13
Response scale
Yes / no
Authors
Javaid Sheikh and Jerome Yesavage, 1986 (short form of the 30-item scale by Yesavage et al., 1983)

The GDS-15 is a screening tool; a high score only means further assessment is needed. This questionnaire is a screening tool, not a diagnosis; only a qualified mental-health professional can diagnose. If you feel severe distress or have thoughts of harming yourself, call Iran's social emergency line 123 or the counselling line 1480 now, or go to the nearest medical centre.

Scoring the GDS-15

  1. Each answer that suggests depression scores one point.
  2. For items 1, 5, 7, 11 and 13 (worded positively) the answer "no" scores 1; for the other ten items the answer "yes" scores 1.
  3. The total is the sum of the fifteen items, from 0 to 15; higher means more depressive symptoms.
  4. In this template each answer's score is already set on the options and a calculated field adds them up with SCORE().

Interpreting GDS-15 scores

ScoreLevelSuggested action
0–5Below the screening cut-off—
6–10Suggestive of depressionFollow-up interview warranted
11–15Almost always depressionProfessional assessment needed

According to the short-form scoring page on the developers' site (Stanford University), although sensitivity and specificity have differed across studies, for clinical purposes a score above 5 is suggestive of depression and warrants a follow-up interview, and a score above 10 is almost always depression. The four-level ranges found in some sources do not come from the developers.

GDS-15 validity and reliability

  • The original scale had 30 items (Yesavage et al., 1983); Sheikh and Yesavage (1986) built this 15-item form from those items.
  • According to the Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing guide (Greenberg, 2023), in the developers' study both forms distinguished depressed from non-depressed adults and their scores were highly correlated (r = .84).
  • The developers note that the short form's sensitivity and specificity have differed across studies; for clinical purposes they nevertheless treat a score above 5 as suggestive of depression.

Using the GDS-15 in your thesis with Porsino

  1. Sign up for free and click "Build a form from this template"; the items, options and every option's score (reversed items included) are ready.
  2. If you need demographic questions (age, gender, education), add them on a separate page; keep the item wording and order unchanged so the scoring stays valid.
  3. Publish the form and send its short link or QR code to your research sample; respondents fill it in without signing up and see their score and its interpretation at the end.
  4. Each respondent's total score and level are saved automatically in separate columns; export to Excel or SPSS from the responses page and go straight to analysis.
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Source and translation

Original instrument: Javaid Sheikh and Jerome Yesavage, 1986 (short form of the 30-item scale by Yesavage et al., 1983)

  • Sheikh, J. I., & Yesavage, J. A. (1986). Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS): Recent evidence and development of a shorter version. Clinical Gerontologist, 5(1–2), 165–173.
  • Yesavage, J. A., Brink, T. L., Rose, T. L., Lum, O., Huang, V., Adey, M., & Leirer, V. O. (1983). Development and validation of a geriatric depression screening scale: A preliminary report. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 17(1), 37–49.
  • Greenberg, S. A. (2023). The Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) (Try This: General Assessment Series, Issue 4). Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing.

According to the developers' site (Stanford University), the Geriatric Depression Scale is in the public domain because it was developed partly with US federal support; the developers welcome translations and publish free mobile and web versions themselves.

Translated by Porsino; for formal research, cite a validated (normed) Persian version.

Frequently asked questions about the GDS-15

How many items does the GDS-15 have?

Fifteen yes/no questions; it is the short form of Yesavage's 30-item scale and the total runs from 0 to 15.

Which GDS-15 items are reverse-scored?

For items 1, 5, 7, 11 and 13 the answer "no" scores 1; for the rest the answer "yes". This template already sets each answer's score on the options.

Does the GDS-15 diagnose depression?

No. It is a screening tool; a high score means a fuller clinical assessment is needed, and only a professional can diagnose.

Printable or online?

Printable version (Word & PDF)

  • For filling in on paper, signing and filing by hand
  • Edit the Word file any way you like
  • Collecting and typing up the answers is up to you
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Online version on Porsino

  • Answers are collected and organised automatically — no retyping
  • National ID, mobile number and dates are validated instantly
  • Ready-made reports and charts, plus Excel export in one click
  • Share a link or QR code — it works on mobile too
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How do I use this template?

  1. Sign up for Porsino for free; no bank card needed.
  2. In the panel, open “Templates” and choose “پرسشنامه افسردگی سالمندان (GDS-15)”.
  3. Change the questions as you like, publish the form and send the link.

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