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Objective: To analyse the psychometric properties of the De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale, 6‐item version (DJGLS‐6), in a multiethnic sample of older Chilean adults. Methods: A cross‐sectional study was designed using a sample of 800 older people, and 71% were self‐declared indigenous. Data quality and acceptability, internal consistency, and construct and structural validity of DJGLS‐6 were analysed. The scale was also analysed according to the Rasch model. Results: The DJGLS‐6 scored higher for the non‐indigenous group than for Aymara and Mapuche (P <.001). KR‐20 coefficients (internal consistency) for emotional loneliness subscale reached 0.44 for Aymara and Mapuche and 0.62 for non‐indigenous, and from 0.73 (non‐indigenous) to 0.86 (Aymara) for social loneliness subscale. The confirmatory factor analysis identified one dimension. None of the two subscales fit the Rasch model. Conclusion: The results indicate that DJGLS‐6 is a reliable and adequate scale for non‐indigenous Chilean older people. However, it should be culturally adapted to indigenous ethnic minorities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There has been scant research published regarding the assessment of depression in ethnic groups, and few studies have addressed the validation of scales for standardized assessment of depressive symptoms among indigenous minorities. Objective: The aim of this study was to analyze the psychometric properties of the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15) for a multi-ethnic sample of older Chilean adults. Methods: Cross-sectional study with a sample of 800 older people, 71% of whom were self-declared indigenous (Aymara/Mapuche). Results: The non-indigenous group had a higher total GDS-15 score and lower quality of life and wellbeing scores than the indigenous groups (p < 0.001). The GDS-15 had a KR-20 coefficient of 0.90 for the non-indigenous group, 0.80 for Aymara, and 0.85 for Mapuche. The homogeneity index was 0.38 for non-indigenous, 0.24 for Aymara, and 0.29 for Mapuche. Discussion: The GDS-15 showed satisfactory psychometric characteristics for the samples studied. However, the better results observed for the non-indigenous group suggest that some characteristics and content of the rating scale are not fully appropriate for the indigenous older population. Conclusions: There is a need to develop the transcultural validation of scales such as GDS-15, which are applied in a standardized manner in geriatric evaluations as part of primary healthcare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]