Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) Scale

Why developed? Why assessed?

-Quantitative measure of depression in adults -assesses depressive symptoms based on DSM-IV criteria -no anxiety -cognitive, somatic and vegetative symptoms covered

Scoring

-add up score -0-63 -evaluate based on table: 1-10 ups and downs are normal, 11-16: mild mood issue, 17-20 Borderline depression, 21-30 moderate depression, 31-40 severe depression, over 40: extreme depression

Reliability

-both versions= high internal consistency -non-psychiatric samples higher in stability -^may be sensitivity to change -older patients and non-patient pop= adequate test-retest reliability -reliability may be over estimated because of memory effects -test-retest depends on temporal distance and composition of sample

Administering BDI

-designed to given by trained interviewers -questionnaire is self report -interview by clinician or self-report -sensitive to difference in instructions given -certain instructions=state-like index of depressive thinking -others yield trait-like index

What is the BDI?

-most well researched self report depression inventory -Aaron T Beck (1961) -21 items- multiple choice -revisions: 1978 (BDI-IA) and 1996 (BDI-II)

Difference from revisions?

-original relied on theory of negative cognitive distortions as central depressions -BDI-II does not rely on any theory

Same Question

1- I do not feel sad 2- I feel sad 3- I am sad all the time and I can't snap out of it 4- I am so sad and unhappy that I can't stand it

Convergent Validity

A low concurrence is to be expected in badly disturbed patients in the beginning of inpatient treatment

Factorial Validity

BDI represents one underlying general syndrome of depression

Content Validity

Improved item replacement and rewording to reflect DSM-IV criteria for major depressive disorders

BDI's Shortcomings & Advantages

Shortcomings: lack of representative norms, instability of scores over short time intervals, poor discriminations validity against anxiety Advantages: high internal consistency, content validity, validity in differentiated between depressed and nondepressed

Discrimination Validity

The BDI discriminates reliably between depressiveness and nondepressiveness