The Geriatric Mental Status interview (GMS) is a semi-structured interview technique for assessing psychopathology in elderly patients. It is administered by a trained interviewer in a session of less than one hour. Between 100 and 200 questions are asked and almost 500 items are rated. Twenty-one factor scores have been identified and the reliability of the ratings has been established. The interview is acceptable to the patient and is useful for making diagnostic distinctions and evaluating progress.
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