Validity and reliability of the Persian version of the Geriatric Depression Scale-15 in older adults with Parkinson’s disease

This study evaluated the validity and reliability of the Persian GDS-15 as a screening tool for depression in older adults with Parkinson’s disease (PD), given its high prevalence and diagnostic challenges in this population. This study included 160 older adults aged 65 years and above with a confirmed diagnosis of PD and 80 age-matched healthy controls. Participants completed the GDS-15, the depression subscale of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS-D), and the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II). Data were analyzed using exploratory factor analysis (EFA), Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), Cronbach’s alpha, Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) (Test-retest reliability), and Pearson correlation coefficient. Additionally, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to determine the optimal diagnostic cutoff score. Exploratory factor analysis revealed a three-factor structure for the Persian GDS-15, demonstrating excellent reliability (α = 0.94; ICC = 0.92). Strong convergent validity was evidenced by significant correlations with HADS-D and BDI-II (both <i>p</i> &lt; 0.001). ROC analysis established an optimal cutoff of ≤5, showing outstanding diagnostic accuracy (sensitivity = 98.7%, specificity = 84.7%) for depression detection in PD. The Persian version of the GDS-15 is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing depression in older adults with PD and can be utilized in both clinical and research settings.