Palabras clave
herramienta tamizaje
tratamiento psicosocial
América Latina
brecha evidencia
Cómo citar
Resumen
La depresión en la vejez es altamente prevalente pero insuficientemente estudiada en América Latina, donde las poblaciones envejecen rápidamente. Esta revisión sistemática siguió las guías PRISMA 2020, buscando en siete bases de datos (desde su inicio hasta abril de 2026) estudios que examinaran las propiedades psicométricas de la Escala de Depresión Geriátrica (GDS) o la eficacia de intervenciones psicosociales en adultos mayores comunitarios (≥60 años). De 1,847 registros, 28 estudios cumplieron criterios (12 psicométricos, 16 intervenciones). La GDS-15 demostró consistencia interna adecuada (α = 0,79 – 0,91) y precisión diagnóstica (sensibilidad 0,80 – 0,92; especificidad 0,75 – 0,88), pero solo tres estudios de validación provinieron de América Latina (todos de Brasil). Las intervenciones psicosociales mostraron tamaños de efecto pequeños a moderados (g de Hedges = 0,32 – 0,68), sin embargo, no se realizó ningún ensayo controlado aleatorizado en países latinoamericanos. Los puntos de corte óptimos de la GDS variaron según la población (≥5 Europa, ≥6 Brasil, ≥7 India), sugiriendo posible funcionamiento diferencial de los ítems. La ausencia de estudios de validación y ensayos de intervención en América Latina hispanohablante representa una brecha crítica que limita la atención equitativa en salud mental geriátrica. Se necesitan urgentemente investigaciones adaptadas culturalmente y codiseñadas con actores locales.
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Derechos de autor 2026 Gautam Makwana