Examined the validity of the Arabic version of the Geriatric Depression Scale (P. D'ath et al, 1994, GDS 15) in screening for depression among elderly individuals. 104 elderly individuals (aged 60-75+ yrs) attending primary health centers in Bahrain completed interviews using the Arabic version of the GDS 15. Results show that the GDS 15 identified 13.7% of male and 32.1% of female Ss as depressed. Depression scores did not vary with age. It is concluded that the Arabic version of the GDS 15 is a valid tool for screening and detecting depression in elderly Bahraini individuals, and that depression in this population is underdiagnosed.