Mood in later life (GDS-15)
Mood and daily life in later adulthood. Answer the app’s questionnaire and see your result right away.
Source · Sheikh JI, Yesavage JA. Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS): recent evidence and development of a shorter version. Clin Gerontol. 1986;5(1–2):165–173.
A simple yes/no mood check for later life
The Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) was developed by Yesavage and colleagues in 1982 to explore depression in older adults, and the GDS-15 is the 15-item short form introduced by Sheikh and Yesavage in 1986. It focuses on feelings rather than physical symptoms, asking about life satisfaction, dropping activities and interests, emptiness and boredom, helplessness, preferring to stay home, memory worries, feeling worthless and feeling hopeless. You answer yes or no about how you have felt over the past week.
Reading your results
The total ranges from 0 to 15. The result screen shows 0–4 as below the screening threshold, 5–10 as a range where further assessment is suggested and 11–15 as a higher symptom burden. Some items are reverse-scored, so answering no to questions about satisfaction, happiness or energy adds to the score. Memory worries and doing less outside the home can come with ageing and blend with low mood, so it helps to look at which items scored. A diagnosis is made in a clinical conversation; if you scored 5 or more, or low mood has lasted more than two weeks, consider talking with a clinician or counselor.
A question to reflect on
This week, write down one moment each day when your mood was even slightly better, such as a walk, a phone call or a favorite meal. After a week, choose two things from the list to do again and put them in next week’s schedule.
Frequently asked questions
- How many questions are in Mood in later life (GDS-15), and how long does it take?
- There are 15 questions, and it usually takes about 3 minutes. For each question you choose one of 2 answers, from “No” to “Yes”. There are no right or wrong answers.
- Can I answer on behalf of my parent?
- The GDS-15 asks how the person has felt over the past week, so it is best if your parent answers. Reading the questions aloud and entering their answers for them is fine.
- Why only yes or no?
- The format is meant to be quick and easy for older adults. Choosing between two answers is less confusing than picking from several levels.
- Can younger people use it?
- They can, but the scale was designed with later life in mind. For other age groups, a general mood check may fit better.
- Do I need to sign in? Are my answers saved?
- You can see your results right away without signing in. Your answers are used only for scoring and are not stored on our servers.
- Can I bring these results into a counseling session?
- Use the analysis button at the bottom of the result screen to have a short conversation with Maeumi without signing in. After the conversation, you can continue in the app. The web conversation does not transfer automatically to the app.
- Can I share my results with a friend?
- Yes. Use Share at the top right of the result screen to send a friend the check itself, or share your result as a link or story image. A result link carries your scores inside the address only; it does not include your name or account, and nothing is saved on our side.