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Objectives: To investigate the reliability and validity of self‐reported depression in demented elderly patients.

Design: This is the first study to combine the use of multiple depression criteria with dementia and depression control groups.

Setting: Houston Veterans Affairs nursing home and geropsychiatric inpatient unit and outpatient clinic, Baylor College of Medicine's Alzheimer's Disease Research Center.

Participants: The total sample included 121 volunteer participants, their informants, and their clinicians, forming four diagnostic groups (27 controls, 37 dementia only, 28 depression only, 29 dementia and depression).

Measurements: Scales assessing depression, deficit awareness, physical illness, functional disability, caregiver burden, and severity of cognitive impairment were used.

Results: Analyses of variance using informant‐ and clinician‐rated depression categories found main effects on patient …