Abstract
Background: Depression is a common mental health problem among Chinese elderly, but it often goes undiagnosed and untreated. Despite an increase in the population of elderly Chinese immigrants in the US, there have been few published studies on this topic. Objective: Our purpose was to determine the extent of depression in the participant population, using an updated Chinese translation of the original 30-item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS; Yesavage et al., 1983). Study Design: A convenience sample of 102 Mandarin speaking Chinese elderly participants in two senior centers in Santa Clara County, CA was recruited. Results: A total of 29.4% of participants showed symptoms of depression, higher than the range found in the older adult American population (13-20%). Those most likely to be depressed ranged in age from 60 to 69 years (32%), lived with their children (37%), rated their financial and health status as below average, had less than a high school education, and lived in the US for less than 5 years. Conclusion: This updated Chinese translation of the GDS is a promising screening measure to detect depressive symptoms in elderly Chinese.
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