Goldberg Anxiety and Depression Scale, what does it consist of?

The prevalence of mood disorders is increasing. However, we know, for example, that more than half of the people who go to Primary Care are not detected, sometimes confusing the symptoms with other pathologies. The Goldberg Anxiety and Depression Scale is today an exceptional resource for early and effective identification.

In fact, This instrument was designed for this purpose in 1988 by doctors Goldberg D, Bridges K and Duncan-Jones. They knew that one of the most effective ways to detect a patient with depression or anxiety disorder was to act on that first front, on that first line, which is always the health centers. Sometimes, these conditions present such broad and complex symptoms that it is not easy to know if there is a psychological problem behind them.

Insomnia, fatigue, apathy, muscle pain or digestive disorders are not always associated with mental health problems. Not at least on the first visits. Healthcare providers often limit themselves to treating symptoms without knowing what lies beyond these varied and persistent dimensions.. This test was designed for this purpose. Furthermore, it was done in a very specific way: it had to be an instrument that was easy to apply, quick to assess, and most importantly, validity and reliability were required.

The Goldberg Anxiety and Depression Scale has all these factors. Let’s get more information.

Goldberg Anxiety and Depression Scale, what does it consist of?

If we had to talk about an instrument capable of giving us a quick overview of a person’s state, this would be the Goldberg Anxiety and Depression Scale. Now, it is worth clarifying an essential detail; The purpose of this resource is to detect possible cases of depression, anxiety or some psychological alteration. It does not seek to diagnose; It is, so to speak, a sensor to alert that “something is happening in that person’s mental state.”.

Later, and After this first detection, a more exhaustive clinical analysis would be carried out. in which, proceed to a more detailed interview and apply other types of more specific evaluation instruments. Let’s understand this interesting scale a little more.

A simple test as an everyday tool for primary care doctors

When doctors Goldberg, Bridges, and Duncan-Jones developed this instrument in 1988, they were clear about two aspects. The first is that More than half of people who suffer from a mood disorder do not receive treatment. And they don’t do it because they have not been detected by their primary care doctors. The second fact is also important. Our doctors barely have time in their consultations to take time with patients who need it.

It is often easier to prescribe a ibuprofen either a lorazepam in small doses to relieve headaches, insomnia and worry rather than stopping to investigate the possible presence of other problems. There’s barely time for more. The Goldberg anxiety and depression scale was designed for this purpose and, since then, it has been an everyday instrument in primary care.

Research such as those carried out at the Luis Vives Health Center, in Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, indicate that This scale is useful and valid for the detection of mental disorders. It is that first step to become aware that something is happening and then be able to refer the patient to more specific care.

What is the Goldberg anxiety and depression scale?

The test consists of two subscales. The first is aimed at detecting anxiety and the second is aimed at identifying the presence of depression. Both scales have 9 questions. Now, there is a nuance and it is the following: The primary care doctor should begin by asking “only” the first four items (questions) of each scale.

These questions serve to identify if the patient may be suffering from a mental health problem. If any question is affirmative, the rest of the questions will then be asked to find out if what they are suffering from is anxiety, depression (or both conditions). ). If negative, the administration of this test is interrupted because it is of no use. The answers are dichotomous, that is, “yes or no.” This greatly facilitates the application of the test itself, making it faster. On the other hand, there are some aspects that need to be considered. Certain population groups may show false positives or negatives on the Goldberg anxiety and depression scale. For example, it has been seen that people with addiction problems (alcohol, drugs) tend to distort answers and lie. Likewise, research has also shown that this test is not valid among the geriatric population. This test cannot therefore be applied to our elders.

To conclude, few resources have been more interesting and necessary for our primary care physicians than the Goldberg Depression and Anxiety Scale. Quality care cannot ignore mental health problems. Detecting them is a priority.