Late-life depression: assessment of validity and performance of depression scales in patients attending outpatient clinic at the institute of mental health

Background: Ageing and depression often coexist, with older individuals experiencing increased depressive symptoms. Factors include substance use, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and rural elderly populations. This study aimed to assess the validity and performance of depression scales for late-life depression among patients attending the outpatient clinic at the Institute of Mental Health, Chennai. Methods: This prospective study was conducted on 358 patients aged >50 years who reported to the OPD and were diagnosed with depression at the institute of mental health, Chennai. Baseline assessments were done at the time of recruitment into the study, and assessments were done (visit 1) for depression as in assessment tools. Scheduled visits were performed every six months for two years (visits 2-5). Adverse events were monitored and recorded periodically. Results: The study found a significant positive correlation between CSDD, MADRS, and PHQ9 scores with HAMD, MADRS, and GDS. The HAMD had a higher correlation with all depression scales except the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). The GDS had a distinct dimensionality and varied items, while MADRS showed a good correlation with all depression scales except GDS. The PHQ9 and MADRS are more valid and accurate among the participants, with higher accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity values. After these two scales, the HAMD was better with higher values than all the other scales. Conclusions: Various depression scales were found to have a strong correlation with each other in measuring late-life depression at a tertiary care psychiatric institution.