Clinical Review
Detecting Depression in Older Veterans: Impact of Cultural Diversity on Test Validity
Fed Pract. 2008 April;25(4):28
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Terry R. Barclay, PhD, Stacy S. Wilkins, PhD, Nancy D. Harada, PhD, Sheryl Osato, PhD, and Shawkat Dhanani, MD
Dr. Barclay is a postdoctoral research fellow, Dr. Wilkins is a staff psychologist for the Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center, Dr. Harada is a researcher with the office of the associate chief of staff for education, Dr. Osato is the director of the Geriatric Psychiatry Outpatient Clinic, and Dr. Dhanani is the director of the Geriatric Evaluation and Management Unit, all at the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA. In addition, Dr. Barclay is a neuropsychology fellow in the department of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences, Dr. Wilkins is an associate clinical professor of geriatric medicine at David Geffen School of Medicine, Dr. Harada is a professor at the School of Public Health and
David Geffen School of Medicine, Dr. Osato is a clinical professor in the department of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences, and Dr. Dhanani is a clinical professor of geriatric medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine, all at the University of California, Los Angeles.
While short forms of the widely used Geriatric Depression Scale have demonstrated usefulness in predominantly white populations, concern has been raised about their accuracy in other cultural groups. This study investigates the issue in a sample of culturally diverse, older veterans.