
What is the BDI?
The BDI was first published in 1961 by Dr. Aaron T. Beck, a psychiatrist who is considered the father of cognitive therapy. 1 The BDI was designed to measure the severity of depression, as well as to serve as a tool for screening for depression. The original BDI consisted of 21 items, each of which corresponded to a symptom of depression.
What is the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)?
Beck Depression Inventory. In its current version, the BDI-II is designed for individuals aged 13 and over, and is composed of items relating to symptoms of depression such as hopelessness and irritability, cognitions such as guilt or feelings of being punished, as well as physical symptoms such as fatigue, weight loss,...
What is the BDI-II model of depression?
Its development marked a shift among health care professionals, who had until then viewed depression from a psychodynamic perspective, instead of it being rooted in the patient’s own thoughts. We typically use the BDI-II.
What are the cut-offs for the BDI?
The standard cut-offs are as follows: 0–9: indicates minimal depression 10–18: indicates mild depression 19–29: indicates moderate depression 30–63: indicates severe depression. Higher total scores indicate more severe depressive symptoms. Some items on the BDI have more than one statement marked with the same score.

When did BDI-II start?
1996A second version of the BDI (BDI-II) was published in 1996 so that items would be consistent with the revised criteria for depressive disorders in the DSM-IV. The number of items on the BDI-II is the same as that for the original version.
Who created the BDI-II?
The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI, BDI-II), created by Dr. Aaron T. Beck, is a 21-question multiple-choice self-report inventory, one of the most widely used instruments for measuring the severity of depression.
Why was the Beck Anxiety Inventory created?
A version of the BAI, the Beck Anxiety Inventory-Trait (BAIT), was developed in 2008 to assess trait anxiety rather than immediate or prolonged state anxiety, much like the STAI. However, unlike the STAI, the BAIT was developed to minimize the overlap between anxiety and depression.
Is the BDI still used?
The Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) is currently one of the most widely used measures in both research and clinical practice for assessing depression.
Is BDI a screening tool?
The Beck Depression inventory (BDI-II) is one of the most widely used screening tools for depression and it may provide a useful method for screening for depression in palliative care [24–26]. This inventory is a self-report questionnaire that was originally developed to rate the severity of depressive symptoms [27].
Is BDI a screening or diagnostic tool?
The Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) (Beck et al., 1996) is one of the most widely used screening tools for depressive disorders and is also used to measure the severity of depression (McDowell, 2006).
How reliable is the Beck Depression Inventory?
The BDI has good reliability and validity. 12 The test-retest reliability of the BDI-II ranged from 0.73 to 0.92, which means that the scores are consistent over time. The internal consistency of the BDI-II was 0.9, which means that the items on the questionnaire relate to each other and measure the same construct.
Is the Beck Anxiety Inventory valid?
Therefore, the available empirical evidence has shown that the BAI is a reliable and valid instrument for measuring symptoms of anxiety [6,24].
How do I cite the Beck Depression Inventory?
Citation: Beck, A.T., Steer, R.A., & Brown, G.K. (1996). Manual for the Beck Depression Inventory-II. San Antonio, TX: Psychological Corporation.
What is purpose of BDI?
The BDI was originally developed to provide a quantitative assessment of the intensity of depression. Because it is designed to reflect the depth of depression, it can monitor changes over time and provide an objective measure for judging improvement and the effectiveness or otherwise of treatment methods.
What is the difference between the BDI and BDI-II?
The original BDI was based on clinical observations and patient description; the BDI-II contains items that reflect the cognitive, affective, somatic, and vegetative symptoms of depression (1, 2).
What does the BDI measure?
Description of Measure: The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) is a 21-item, self-report rating inventory that measures characteristic attitudes and symptoms of depression (Beck, et al., 1961).
What theory is Beck Anxiety Inventory based on?
The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) is a 21-item self-reporting questionnaire for evaluating the severity of depression in normal and psychiatric populations [1,2]. Developed by Beck et al. in 1961, it relied on the theory of negative cognitive distortions as central to depression [3].
What does BDI measure?
Description of Measure: The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) is a 21-item, self-report rating inventory that measures characteristic attitudes and symptoms of depression (Beck, et al., 1961).
What is the best anxiety questionnaire?
The most common measure used to assess anxiety in treatment outcome studies is the Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAM-A),7 8 which is a primary measure for generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) and is often used to assess general anxiety symptoms across conditions.
Who developed BAI?
Ben Weiss, founder of Bai Brands, knows a thing or two about building a successful company in tough times. During the Great Recession in 2009, Weiss started Bai out of his New Jersey basement.
Background of Beck Depression Inventory
The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) is a 21-item self-report measure of depression severity. It was created by Aaron T. Beck and colleagues in 1961, and revised in 1996. The BDI is one of the most widely used instruments for measuring the severity of depression.
Impact of Beck Depression Inventory
The BDI’s introduction was a watershed moment in both psychiatry and psychology; it signified a change in psychiatric care providers’ perception of depression, from a Freudian psychodynamic viewpoint to one guided by the patient’s own ideas or “cognitions.”
Beck Depression Inventory and Its Limitations
The BDI has the same limitations as other self-report inventories in that a person’s score may be readily exaggerated or minimized. The manner in which the instrument is given might have an impact on the total score, as it does with all surveys.
How many questions are in a Bdi?
The original BDI, first published in 1961, consisted of twenty-one questions about how the subject has been feeling in the last week. Each question has a set of at least four possible answer choices, ranging in intensity. For example:
What is the Beck Depression Inventory?
Aaron T. Beck, is a 21-question multiple-choice self-report inventory, one of the most widely used instruments for measuring the severity of depression.
Development and history
Historically, depression was described in psychodynamic terms as "inverted hostility against the self". By contrast, the BDI was developed in a novel way for its time; by collating patients' verbatim descriptions of their symptoms and using these to structure a scale which could reflect the intensity or severity of a given symptom.
Two-factor approach to depression
Depression can be thought of as having two components: the affective component (e.g. mood) and the physical or "somatic" component (e.g. loss of appetite). The BDI-II reflects this and can be separated into two subscales. The purpose of the subscales is to help determine the primary cause of a patient's depression.
Impact
The development of the BDA was an important event in psychiatry and psychology; it represented a shift in health care professionals' view of depression from a Freudian, psychodynamic perspective, to one guided by the patient's own thoughts or "cognitions".
Limitations
The BDI suffers from the same problems as other self-report inventories, in that scores can be easily exaggerated or minimized by the person completing them. Like all questionnaires, the way the instrument is administered can have an effect on the final score.
Further reading
Beck A.T. (1988). "Beck Hopelessness Scale." The Psychological Corporation.
What is BDI II?
In occupational health, the BDI-II can be used as a screening tool to detect depression in normal populations or as a tool to assess symptom severity in clinical populations.
How long does it take to recall BDI II?
The questionnaire is commonly self-administered although initially designed to be administered by trained interviewers [ 3 ]. Self-administration takes 5–10min. The recall period for the BDI-II is 2 weeks for (major depressive symptoms) as operationalized in the fourth edition of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-IV).
What is the Beck Depression Inventory?
The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) is a 21-item self-reporting questionnaire for evaluating the severity of depression in normal and psychiatric populations [ 1, 2 ]. Developed by Beck et al. in 1961, it relied on the theory of negative cognitive distortions as central to depression [ 3 ]. It underwent revisions in 1978: the BDI-IA and 1996 and the BDI-II, both copyrighted [ 4 ]. The BDI-II does not rely on any particular theory of depression and the questionnaire has been translated into several languages. A shorter version of the questionnaire, the BDI Fast Screen for Medical Patients (BDI-FS), is available for primary care use. That version contains seven self-reported items each corresponding to a major depressive symptom in the preceding 2 weeks.
Does BDI II rely on depression?
The BDI-II does not rely on any particular theory of depression and the questionnaire has been translated into several languages. A shorter version of the questionnaire, the BDI Fast Screen for Medical Patients (BDI-FS), is available for primary care use.
Is BDI II copyrighted?
The BDI-II is copyrighted. The rights are held by Harcourt Assessment Incorporated (Pearson Education plc), under contract from the author. A fee is required for the manual and record forms. This limits availability. In occupational health, the BDI-II can be used as a screening tool to detect depression in normal populations or as a tool to assess symptom severity in clinical populations.
Is the BDI II valid?
Content validity of the BDI-II has improved following item replacements and rewording to reflect DSM-IV criteria for major depressive disorders. Mean correlation coefficients of 0.72 and 0.60 have been found between clinical ratings of depression and the BDI for psychiatric and non-psychiatric populations [ 3 ]. Construct validity is high for the medical symptoms measured by the questionnaire, α = 0.92 for psychiatric outpatients and 0.93 for college students [ 7 ]. High concurrent validities have been demonstrated between the questionnaire and other measures of depression such as the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-D, r = 0.77 [ 3 ]. Criterion validity of the BDI-II is positively correlated with the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale ( r = 0.71) with a high 1 week test-retest reliability r = 0.93 (suggesting robustness against daily variations in mood) and an internal consistency of α = 91 [ 4 ].
What Is the Beck Depression Inventory?
The Beck Depression Inventory was first published in 1961. It was created by Aaron T. Beck, one of the pioneers of cognitive behavioral therapy. The Beck Depression Inventory, as well as the Beck Hopelessness Scale, Beck Anxiety Inventory, and other tools that cognitive behavioral therapists can use in their practices.
Psychoanalysis and CBT
Before Beck came along, psychoanalysis was at the forefront of psychology. Freud believed that mood disorders and other symptoms were the result of trauma and experiences found in a person’s unconscious mind. All negative behaviors could point back to the unconscious mind.
About the Beck Depression Inventory (Cost and Validity)
The current version of the Beck Depression Inventory is similar to the original version created in 1961, but it has undergone some changes. New versions of the BDI were published in both 1978 and 1996.
How to Use The Beck Depression Inventory Score
Your score might surprise you. It might also reveal something that you might have been thinking, but were nervous to admit. Continue to track your score throughout the year to understand how seasons and life events may affect your mood.
What is the BDI test?
The BDI test is widely known and has been tested for content, concurrent, and construct validity.High concurrent validity ratings are given between the BDI and other depression instruments as the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory and the Hamilton Depression Scale; 0.77 correlation rating was calculated when compared with inventory and psychiatric ratings.The BDI has also showed high construct validity with the medical symptoms it measures.Beck’s study reported a coefficient alpha rating of .92 for outpatients and .93 for college student samples. The BDI-II positively correlated with the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, r = 0.71, had a one-week test–retest reliability of r = 0.93 and an internal consistency α=.91.
How long does it take to complete a BDI test?
The BDI test includes a 21 item self-report using a four-point scale ranging which ranges from 0 (symptom not present) to 3 (symptom very intense.The test takes approximately 5 to 10 minutes to complete.There is a shortened version of the test consisting of 7 items intended to by used by primary care providers.
What is Beck Depression Inventory?
The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) is a commonly used instrument for quantifying levels of depression. The scale for the BDI was originally created by patients’ descriptions of their symptoms – mood, pessimism, sense of failure, self-dissatisfaction, guilt, suicidal ideas, crying, irritability, social withdrawal, insomnia, fatigue, appetite, weight loss, self-accusation. In the first portion of the test, psychological symptoms are assessed whereas the second portion assesses physical symptoms.
What is the BDI?
It is widely known from various studies that the psychometric qualities of the BDI are believed to be quite sound (Beck et al., 1996). The self-report manual is well written, and succeeds in providing the reader with information regarding norms, factor analysis, and nonparametic item-option characteristic curves for each item. The BDI manages to retain a high level of standardization by maintaining a consistent practice of uniformity for test administrators and advising examiners about scenarios for potential distortions of test results by keeping in mind that self-reports inventories are subject to a response bias, and ultimately factoring this into the overall interpretation of the test results (Dozois et al., 1998). Additionally, the formulation of the directions allows for a consistent administration process, for example, the statements for each of the 21 items attempt to maintain the same format such as (0= I am upbeat about the future), (1= I feel slightly discourages about the future), (2= I feel the future has little to offer for me), (3=I feel that the future is utterly hopeless). This format of questioning is representative of the format for all of the 21 items with a total raw score serving as the sum of the endorsements of symptoms of depression.
How long is the BDI II?
The rating duration for the BDI was changed from a 1-week period to over the past 2 weeks with the revised BDI-II. The revised version represents a significant milestone because of improvements having been made over the original structure which includes revisions to the content, psychometric validity, external validity, and its ability to be utilized in widespread clinical practice sites(Beck et al., 1996). One of the primary characteristics that has lead to the increased popularity of the use of the BDI-II is that the majority of people are able to complete the 21 items of the self-report within a 5-10 minutes time span but in order for this occur the administrator must make it a point to preserve the integrity of the test results such as the testing environment possessing sufficient illumination for reading and being quiet enough to facilitate adequate concentration for the test taker.
How does Beck Depression Inventory work?
As a clinical psychologist, the Beck Depression Inventory can be used during a patient encounter to gauge whether or not a patient endorses feeling of depression. If after multiple encounter the patient exhibits classical symptoms of depression, the inventory could be utilized to confirm or deny this suspicion through self-report. The Beck Depression Inventory can serve as the first tier for the assessment of depression with the DSM-IV-TR coming behind to provide an official diagnosis (American Psychiatric Association,2000). The benefits that can be reaped from using the Beck Depression Inventory come from its ease of administration and understandable questions that allow the user to maneuver through the 21 items of the questionnaire. The simplicity of the questionnaire allows for its use with a wide variety of patients from adolescents to adults which can then lead to an increase of undiagnosed of unrecognized depressive symptoms. Along with the ability to identify those patients that might be exhibiting depressive symptoms, the inventory can produce problems with more patients stating that they are depressed in order to benefit from the receiving the diagnosis, or having a personal agenda the comes with having the label of depression.
What are the weaknesses of Beck Depression Inventory?
critique of the strength and weaknesses of the Beck Depression Inventory can produce findings about its psychometric qualities such as the advantage of its uniform standardization procedure which consists of easy and formalized directions for test administration as well as the ability of reader to comprehend the guidelines provided in the instructional manual. On the other hand, there are disadvantages to that the manual does not adequately address such as the potential for clients to alter their presentations based on an incentive or personal agenda associated with being diagnosed with depression. The Beck Depression Inventory manual does not completely address how such an issue can be appropriately handled so as to not interfere with the test results, but rather provides an ambiguous answer for a possible resolution. For the most part, The Beck Depression Inventory reports “correlations of 0.93 and 0.84” between the BDI-II and its predecessors in two samples of 191 and 84 outpatients and the correlations between of 0.68 and 71, respectively, between the BDI-II and two other depression instruments(The Revised Hamilton Psychiatric Rating Scale for Depression and the Beck Hopelessness Scale (Sprinkle et al., 2002,pp.381).

Development and history
- The original BDI, first published in 1961, consisted of twenty-one questions about how the subject has been feeling in the last week. Each question has a set of at least four possible answer choices, ranging in intensity. For example: When the test is scored, a value of 0 to 3 is assigned for each answer and then the total score is compared to a ke...
Two-factor approach to depression
Impact
Limitations
- Historically, depression was described in psychodynamic terms as "inverted hostility against th…
Throughout his work, Beck drew attention to the importance of "negative cognitions": sustained, inaccurate, and often intrusive negative thoughts about the self. In h
See also
- Depression can be thought of as having two components: the affective component (e.g. mood) …
The affective subscale contains eight items: pessimism, past failures, guilty feelings, punishment feelings, self-dislike, self-criticalness, suicidal thoughts or wishes, and worthles
Notes
- The development of the BDA was an important event in psychiatry and psychology; it represented a shift in health care professionals' view of depression from a Freudian, psychodynamic perspective, to one guided by the patient's own thoughts or "cognitions". It also established the principle that instead of attempting to develop a psychometric tool based on a possibly invalid t…
Further reading
- The BDI suffers from the same problems as other self-report inventories, in that scores can be e…
In participants
External links
- Beck Anxiety Inventory
Beck Hopelessness Scale - Diagnostic classification and rating scales used in psychiatry
Major Depression Inventory