Geriatric Depression Scale

GDS-30 — 30 yes/no questions — ~8 min

A simple yes/no questionnaire for depression in older adults. Fill it in together in session, or send it to a client to complete at home.

Before you start

Choose the best answer for how you have felt over the past week. There are no right or wrong answers — just go with your first feeling.

Answers stay on this device and aren't saved anywhere.

Send to a client

Your client fills it in at home, from a private link with your name and logo. Results are scored and saved to your account, so you can track them over time.

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About the GDS-30

The Geriatric Depression Scale is a self-report questionnaire written specifically for older adults. Each question is a simple yes or no about the past week, which makes it easier to answer than scales with several response options.

It deliberately leaves out most physical symptoms — such as sleep, appetite and energy — because in later life these are often caused by health problems rather than low mood.

Questions: 30, yes / no
Time: 5–10 minutes
Covers: Past week
Score range: 0–30

How it’s scored

Each answer that points towards depression scores one point. For most questions that’s “yes”, but for some — such as “Are you basically satisfied with your life?” — it’s “no”. The total runs from 0 to 30.

GDS-30 score ranges
Score	Severity
0–9	Normal
10–19	Mild depression
20–30	Severe depression

Good to know

It’s a screening tool, not a diagnosis.
It works best with people who can understand and answer the questions reliably. In moderate or severe dementia, its results are much less dependable.
It doesn’t ask about suicidal thoughts. Assess risk separately.
A shorter 15-item version (GDS-15) also exists. Scores from the two versions aren’t interchangeable.

Source