Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15): The Validated 15-Item Screener for Older Adults
This is the validated 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale short form (Sheikh and Yesavage, 1986), reproduced word for word from the public-domain original, built for adults 60 and older. You get an instant result using the scale's own published scoring bands and an optional PDF for a doctor.
Reviewed by Michael Callans, MSW 
Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15) is a free, confidential 15-question self-assessment, the GDS-15, verbatim. It takes about 5 minutes, runs entirely in your browser, and gives you a plain-language score across 4 interpretation bands plus an optional in-depth report. It is an educational screening, not a diagnosis.
A validated tool built specifically for later-life depression
Depression in older adults is often missed because its signs get mistaken for normal aging, grief, or memory decline. The Geriatric Depression Scale was built and tested specifically for this age group, using simple yes-or-no questions instead of the more clinical wording found in general depression scales. This page reproduces the validated 15-item short form exactly as published.
The validated GDS-15, word for word
All 15 yes-or-no questions from Sheikh and Yesavage's 1986 short form, reproduced exactly, asking how you have felt over the past week.
The scale's own published scoring key
Scored exactly as published, with five items reverse-scored, and reported using the same 0 to 4, 5 to 8, 9 to 11, and 12 to 15 bands used in clinical practice.
Built for later life, not adapted from a younger scale
Unlike depression scales built for general adult use, the GDS was designed and validated specifically for older adults, avoiding items about physical symptoms that overlap with normal aging or illness.
| Feature | Typical free quiz | Psychology.com |
|---|---|---|
| Validated GDS-15 questions | Sometimes | Yes, verbatim from the original |
| Correct published scoring key | Often wrong | Yes, five reverse-scored items handled exactly |
| Built specifically for older adults | Rarely | Yes, no items about physical symptoms of aging |
| Clear guidance on who should answer | Rarely | Yes, the older adult, in their own words |
| Clinician-reviewed interpretation | Rarely | Yes, clinician reviewed |
| Optional in-depth personalized report | No | Yes, written to your exact score |
| Answers stay on your device | Often tracked | Scored in your browser; we only receive anonymous completion counts unless you ask for a PDF or report |
How scoring works
Answers are scored 0–15 in total. Your result falls into one of 4 bands:
| Score | Band | What it suggests |
|---|---|---|
| 0–4 | Normal range | Your score falls in the normal range on the GDS-15's published scale. That is a genuinely good sign for this measure, and the sections below still offer useful context. |
| 5–8 | Mild depressive symptoms | Your score falls in the range the GDS-15 associates with mild depressive symptoms, which is exactly the point at which the scale's developers recommend a closer look from a doctor. |
| 9–11 | Moderate depressive symptoms | Your score falls in the range the GDS-15 associates with moderate depressive symptoms. This is worth taking seriously and bringing to a doctor soon. |
| 12–15 | Severe depressive symptoms | Your score falls in the range the GDS-15 associates with severe depressive symptoms. Please treat this as a reason to reach out for support soon, not as something to carry alone. |
Why Depression in Later Life Gets Missed
Depression in older adults is under-recognized for reasons that have little to do with how common it actually is. Symptoms like low energy, withdrawal from activities, or trouble sleeping get written off as ordinary aging rather than treated as a sign worth investigating. Grief after the loss of a spouse, friends, or independence can look similar to depression on the surface, and family members and even clinicians sometimes assume sadness is simply appropriate to the circumstances rather than a treatable condition layered on top of them. None of this means depression is a normal or expected part of getting older; it is a real, treatable condition at any age, and it responds well to care once it is recognized.
Cognitive changes add another layer of confusion. Depression can slow thinking and concentration enough to resemble early dementia, sometimes called pseudodementia, while dementia itself can also lower mood and motivation. If memory, confusion, or disorientation is part of what concerns you or a family member, our Dementia Test and Memory Screen look specifically at cognitive changes, and it is worth discussing both possibilities with a doctor rather than assuming either one on your own.
Who Should Take This, and Who Should Answer
The GDS-15 is intended for adults 60 and older, and the questions should be answered by the older person, in their own words, based on how they have genuinely felt over the past week. If a family member or caregiver is helping, the most accurate approach is to read the questions aloud and record the older adult's own answers, rather than answering based on outside observation. Caregivers completing this alongside a parent should expect it to open a conversation, not replace one; a low mood you notice from the outside and a low mood the person actually reports can be surprisingly different.
If you are a caregiver and this process itself feels heavy, that is worth attending to as well. Supporting an aging parent through health changes carries a real toll, and our Caregiver Burnout Test looks at that specifically. Isolation is also common in later life and can compound depression; our Loneliness Test may be useful alongside this one if disconnection feels like part of the picture.
What to Do With Your Score
Any score of 5 or higher on the GDS-15 is generally considered worth a closer look by a doctor, and the scale's developers themselves note this as the point where a fuller evaluation is warranted, regardless of which published band it falls into. A single screening score is never the full picture: normal grief, physical illness, medication side effects, and genuine depression can all shift these answers, which is exactly why the GDS-15 is meant as a starting point for a conversation with a clinician rather than a standalone answer.
If grief after a loss feels like the more accurate description of what you are experiencing, our Grief Test may capture that more precisely, though grief and depression can and do coexist. Whatever the score, sharing it with a primary care doctor or geriatric specialist is a reasonable, low-pressure next step, since depression in later life is genuinely treatable with therapy, medication, or both.
Methodology & sources
This page reproduces all 15 items of the Geriatric Depression Scale short form exactly as published by Sheikh and Yesavage (1986), word for word, with no rewording. The original scale is in the public domain, in part because it resulted from federally supported research; its authors state on the official Stanford page that it may be used freely (Yesavage, GDS.html, web.stanford.edu/~yesavage/GDS.html). Each item is answered yes or no. Ten items indicate depression when answered yes; five items, numbers 1, 5, 7, 11, and 13, indicate depression when answered no and are reverse-scored accordingly. The total score, from 0 to 15, uses the widely published bands: 0 to 4 normal, 5 to 8 mild depressive symptoms, 9 to 11 moderate, and 12 to 15 severe, consistent with how the scale is used in clinical and long-term care settings.
Sheikh and Yesavage's validation work found the short form correlated strongly with the original 30-item Long Form (r = 0.84). For diagnostic accuracy at the standard cutoff of 5, a 2016 systematic review and meta-analysis (Pocklington et al., Int J Geriatr Psychiatry) pooled results across brief GDS versions and found sensitivity of 0.89 (95% CI 0.80 to 0.94) and specificity of 0.77 (95% CI 0.65 to 0.86) against clinical interview, with the authors cautioning that cut-off scores appeared to be reported selectively across the underlying studies. A larger 2024 individual-participant-data meta-analysis (Parsons et al., Scientific Reports) found that a GDS-15 score of 5 or above substantially overestimated depression prevalence compared with a structured clinical interview, 34.2 percent versus 14.8 percent, so a positive score at this cutoff is best read as a reason for evaluation, not a confirmed case. Even with this validation, the GDS-15 is a screening tool, not a diagnostic instrument. It does not assess suicide risk directly, and any concerning answers, particularly around hopelessness, worthlessness, or not finding life worth living, deserve a direct, caring follow-up question and, if needed, immediate professional support. Only a full clinical evaluation by a licensed clinician can diagnose depression.
References
- Sheikh JI, Yesavage JA. Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS): Recent evidence and development of a shorter version. In: Brink TL, ed. Clinical Gerontology: A Guide to Assessment and Intervention. New York: The Haworth Press, 1986:165-173.
- Yesavage JA, Brink TL, Rose TL, Lum O, Huang V, Adey MB, Leirer VO. Development and validation of a geriatric depression screening scale: a preliminary report. J Psychiatr Res. 1982-1983;17(1):37-49.
- Yesavage JA, Brink TL. Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). Stanford University / VA Palo Alto. web.stanford.edu/~yesavage/GDS.html and web.stanford.edu/~yesavage/GDS.english.short.html
- Pocklington C, Gilbody S, Manea L, McMillan D. The diagnostic accuracy of brief versions of the Geriatric Depression Scale: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2016;31(8):837-857. DOI 10.1002/gps.4407.
- Parsons M, Qiu L, Levis B, et al. Depression prevalence of the Geriatric Depression Scale-15 was compared to Structured Clinical Interview for DSM using individual participant data meta-analysis. Sci Rep. 2024;14:17430. DOI 10.1038/s41598-024-68496-3.
- Blazer DG. Depression in late life: review and commentary. Focus. 2009;7(1):118-136.
Cite this source
Psychology.com. (2026, September 23). Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15). Psychology.com. https://psychology.com/tests/geriatric-depression
Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15) FAQ
What is the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15)?
It is a validated 15-item yes-or-no screening tool developed by Sheikh and Yesavage in 1986, built and tested specifically for adults 60 and older, to screen for depressive symptoms over the past week. This page reproduces the scale exactly as published, using the original scoring key.
Who should answer the questions, the older adult or a family member?
The older adult themselves, in their own words. If a caregiver is helping, the best approach is to read each question aloud and record the older person's own answer, rather than answering based on outside observation of their mood or behavior.
What does my score mean?
Using the scale's published bands, 0 to 4 is considered normal, 5 to 8 suggests mild depressive symptoms, 9 to 11 suggests moderate symptoms, and 12 to 15 suggests severe symptoms. The scale's own developers note that any score of 5 or higher generally warrants a closer look from a doctor, regardless of band. This is a screening result, not a diagnosis.
Is a low mood just a normal part of aging?
No. Depression is not a normal or expected consequence of getting older, even though its symptoms are frequently mistaken for ordinary aging, grief, or early memory decline. It is a common and genuinely treatable condition at any age, and later-life depression responds well to therapy, medication, or both once it is recognized.
How is this different from a memory or dementia test?
This scale screens for mood, not cognition. Depression and dementia can look similar from the outside, since both can involve withdrawal, slowed thinking, and reduced concentration, and they can also occur together. If memory or confusion is part of what concerns you, our Dementia Test and Memory Screen look specifically at cognitive changes.
Is the test really confidential?
Yes. It runs entirely in your browser. Your individual answers are never sent to us or linked to you, and no account is needed. If you request an emailed PDF, we receive your summary score and email address, never your individual answers.
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