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Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)

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Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)

The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) is a widely used and well-established self-report questionnaire designed to assess the severity of depression. The BDI was developed by Dr Aaron T. Beck in 1961 and has since undergone several revisions, with the most recent version, the BDI-II, being published in 1996. The BDI is a 21-item questionnaire that measures a wide range of depression symptoms, such as sadness, hopelessness, guilt, and tiredness. Each item is rated on a 4-point scale, with higher scores indicating a greater severity of depression. The BDI has been found to have high reliability and validity, and has been widely used in both clinical and research settings. One of the strengths of the BDI is its brevity. The questionnaire can be administered in just a few minutes and provides a quick and easy way to assess the severity of depression. The BDI has also been found to be useful in differentiating between different subtypes of depression, such as melancholic depression and atypical depression. In clinical practice, the BDI is often used to monitor changes in depression severity over time and to assess the effectiveness of treatments for depression. The BDI has also been used in research to study the prevalence and predictors of depression and to explore the neurobiological underpinnings of depression. In conclusion, the Beck Depression Inventory is a widely used and well-validated self-report questionnaire for figuring out how bad depression is. It is a useful tool in both clinical practice and research because it is short and easy to use. References:  

  1. Beck, A.T., Ward, C.H., Mendelson, M., Mock, J., & Erbaugh, J. (1961). An inventory for measuring depression. Archives of General Psychiatry, 4(6), 561-571. http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archpsyc.1961.01710120031004
  2. Beck, A.T., Steer, R.A., & Brown, G.K. (1996). Manual for the Beck Depression Inventory-II. San Antonio: Psychological Corporation.
  3. Osman, A., Kopper, B.A., Barrios, F., Gutierrez, P.M., & Bagge, C.L. (2004). Reliability and validity of the Beck Depression Inventory—II with adolescent psychiatric inpatients. Psychological Assessment, 16(2), 120-132. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/1040-3590.16.2.120


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