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NR 547 Final Study Guide – PMHNP
Updated 2024
When do you consider Unipolar versus Bipolar depression - ANSWER✔✔-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) - ANSWER✔✔-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 - ANSWER✔✔-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 - ANSWER✔✔-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.
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Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS): Score - ANSWER✔✔-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 - ANSWER✔✔-The presence of depression
warrants prompt intervention and treatment. The GDS may be used to monitor depression over time in
all clinical settings.
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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] - ANSWER✔✔-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.
The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) - ANSWER✔✔-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) - ANSWER✔✔-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.
Copyright ©Stuvia International BV 2010-2024 Page 3/19
NR 547 Final Study Guide – PMHNP
Updated 2024
When do you consider Unipolar versus Bipolar depression - ANSWER✔✔-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) - ANSWER✔✔-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 - ANSWER✔✔-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 - ANSWER✔✔-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.
Copyright ©Stuvia International BV 2010-2024 Page 1/19
, Copyright © OLIVIAWEST2024/2025 ACADEMIC YEAR. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS): Score - ANSWER✔✔-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 - ANSWER✔✔-The presence of depression
warrants prompt intervention and treatment. The GDS may be used to monitor depression over time in
all clinical settings.
Copyright ©Stuvia International BV 2010-2024 Page 2/19
, Copyright © OLIVIAWEST2024/2025 ACADEMIC YEAR. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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] - ANSWER✔✔-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.
The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) - ANSWER✔✔-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) - ANSWER✔✔-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.
Copyright ©Stuvia International BV 2010-2024 Page 3/19
