150 QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS 2026-
2027
When do you consider Unipolar versus Bipolar depression
Unipolar major depression (major depressive disorder) is characterized by a history of one or more
major depressive episodes (table 3) and no history of mania (table 1) or hypomania
Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS)
Scoring Instructions. Score 1 point for each bolded answer. A score of 5 or more suggests
depression.
Self-reporting tool that may be used to diagnose and treat depression
Geriatric Depression Scale
The Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) is a self-report measure of depression in older adults. Users
respond in a "Yes/No" format. The GDS was originally developed as a 30-item instrument. Since this
version proved both time-consuming and difficult for some patients to complete, a 15-item version
was developed. The shortened form (GDS-S) is comprised of 15 items chosen from the Geriatric
Depression Scale-Long Form (GDS-L). These 15 items were chosen because of their high correlation
with depressive symptoms in previous validation studies
Geriatric Depression Scale: Targeted Population
he GDS may be used with healthy, medically ill and mild to moderately cognitively impaired older
adults. It has been extensively used in community, acute care, and long-term care settings.
Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS): Score
, NR547/ NR 547 PMHNP MIDTERM & FINAL EXAM
150 QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS 2026-
2027
Pharmacologic, psychotherapeutic, or combination treatment indicated of the 15 items, 10 indicated
the presence of depression when answered positively, while the rest (question numbers 1, 5, 7, 11,
13) indicated depression when answered negatively.
Scores of 0-4 are considered normal, depending on age, education, and complaints; (No Treatment)
5-8 indicate mild depression; (Pharmacologic or psychotherapeutic treatment may be indicated
Base treatment on duration of symptoms and functional impairment
9-11 indicate moderate depression; (Pharmacologic, psychotherapeutic, or combination treatment
indicated)
12-15 indicate severe depression.(Pharmacologic, psychotherapeutic, or combination treatment
indicated
Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS): Indication for Intervention
The presence of depression warrants prompt intervention and treatment. The GDS may be used to
monitor depression over time in all clinical settings.
Any positive score above 5 on the GDS Short Form should prompt an in-depth psychological
assessment and evaluation for suicidality.
Patient Health Questionnaire [PHQ-9]
A brief 9-item self-report questionnaire used as a screening tool to assess severity of depression;
widely used by health care providers, in validity is well established, particularly for identifying severe
depression.
, NR547/ NR 547 PMHNP MIDTERM & FINAL EXAM
150 QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS 2026-
2027
The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)
Widely used to screen for depression and to measure behavioral manifestations and severity of
depression.
The BDI can be used for ages 13 to 80. The inventory contains 21 self-report items which individuals
complete using multiple choice response formats.
The BDI takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. Validity and reliability of the BDI has been
tested across populations, worldwide.
Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D)
Designed for use in the general population and is now used as a screener for depression in primary
care settings.
It includes 20 self-report items, scored on a 4-point scale, which measure major dimensions of
depression experienced in the past week.
The CES-D can be used for children as young as 6 and through older adulthood. It has been tested
across gender and cultural populations and maintains consistent validity and reliability. The scale
takes about 20 minutes to administer, including scoring.
EQ-5D
The EQ-5D is a standardized, non-disease specific instrument for describing and evaluating health-
related quality of life. The instrument measures quality of life in five dimensions: mobility, self-care,
usual activities, pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression.