The measurement of mood states in older adults

This study examined the reliability and validity of the Profile of Mood States (POMS) questionnaire when administered to 479 community-dwelling older adults. Factor analysis replicated the original factor structure identified in young-adult samples, suggesting that older adults adopt the same underlying constructs of mood when responding to the POMS. There was strong support for concurrent validity, and this instrument was able to discriminate between healthy adults and patients with known mood disturbance. Excellent internal consistency of POMS sub-scales and very good retest reliability were noted. A significant age-related decline in self-reported mood states emphasizes the need for age-specific norms, although response bias rather than age itself was shown to account for this decline. Overall, the POMS can be recommended as a reliable and valid measure of mood states in older adults, although it is clear that normative values for this test vary considerably over the age spectrum.