Beck Depression Inventory

Man getting ready to take a depression inventory

While the Beck Depression Inventory is one of the most widely used inventories for measuring symptoms of depression, there are both pros and cons to this method of diagnosis.

About the Beck Depression Inventory

This long-used depression inventory was designed around 1961 by Dr. Aaron T. Beck. It's a simple, well-laid-out, 21-question inventory that allows the person taking it to self-assess for depression. However, it's usually given and analyzed by a health care professional.

The Beck Depression Inventory or BDI has been updated; it has been changed in order to better address the needs of people suffering from depression. For instance, when the inventory was first created back in the 1960s, it relied on scores that were easily skewed because certain questions within questions counted as the same number of points. For an inventory or depression test to be realistic, questions need to be easy to sort and have different worth.

Additionally, the first version was missing certain important diagnostic criteria for Major Depressive Disorder found in the fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR). The current version reflects the changes made to the DSM-IV-TR.

Scoring the BDI II

The current BDI II is more flawless than the original, with the same 21 question format, but a difference in end values. Each question offers a possible four-point scale for each question. The following is the current end scoring matrix.

  • 0-13 indicates minimal depression.
  • 14-19 indicates a mild form of depression.
  • 20-28 indicates moderate depression.
  • 29-63 indicates severe depression.

The higher someone's score, the more likely it is that he or she may be clinically depressed. If a moderate-to-severe score is calculated, further tests and assessments are necessary before a doctor would come to an absolute diagnosis.

You can view much more information about BDI II assessment scoring and reliability at the Association for Assessment in Counseling and Education.

Types of Questions on the BDI II

The questions are written at a fifth-sixth grade reading level, and they measure signals and symptoms that are easy for the person taking the test to spot. The questions themselves relate to feeling/issues such as:

  • Pessimism
  • Sense of failure
  • Satisfaction with life
  • Guilt
  • Self hate
  • Self accusations
  • Crying spells
  • Irritability
  • Social habits and withdrawal
  • Decision making
  • Body image
  • Work drive
  • Sleep disturbance or oversleep
  • Fatigue
  • Appetite
  • Weight loss
  • Libido

Benefits of the BDI II

  • The inventory provides a quick and fairly accurate overview of how any one person is feeling at the time they take it.
  • Many people find the questions easy to understand; they're not overly technical or medical in terms of language.
  • The inventory can be taken anywhere with no special machines or tools required other than a pencil.
  • The assessment does give a fairly accurate indication (when given correctly) that someone may or may not be depressed. Overall, the test is neutral and easy for people to handle.
  • The info drawn form a completed inventory can help a doctor conclude when someone needs help for depression, especially with issues like feeling suicidal.

Cons or Limitations of the BDI II

  • While some think that the BDI II alone can effectively diagnose depression, that's not actually what the inventory does. In reality, it's only an assessment or measurement of signals or symptoms of someone who may or may not have depression. Think of it as one tool at a physician's disposal.
  • The inventory has only been proved useful for people aged 13 and up so children cannot benefit from taking it. However, it can be used for measuring teen depression.
  • There have been no large studies that look at how the BDI II works for minorities or other sub-populations such as homeless youth or displaced employees.
  • One sub-population that has been studied are elderly patients. According to one study (Sharp and Lipsky; 2002) the scores for the elderly cannot be completely trusted because the psychometric data on the BDI II are mixed.
  • It's such an easy assessment that often patients are simply handed the inventory and asked to fill it out. Various research has shown that the inventory is far more reliable and shows different results when actually given to someone by a trained mental health care professional.

The bottom line is that the BDI II is a decent assessment for measuring symptoms of possible depression; even major depression, when given properly. It's available on the Internet, but it's a much better plan to talk to a doctor rather than take this self-assessment if you think you or someone else may be depressed. The assessment alone cannot help you if you are depressed, but a doctor can provide support and discuss treatment options with you.

For more information about assessing depression, visit LTK's informative slideshow on the 10_Signs_of_Depression.