The BDI was developed by Dr. Aaron T. Beck, a psychiatrist, and released in 1961.
The BDI includes 21 items, each of which corresponds to a symptom of depression.
History of the Beck Depression Inventory
The BDI was first published in 1961 byDr.
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The original BDI consisted of 21 items, each of which corresponded to a symptom of depression.
Dr. Beck and his colleagues found that the BDI had good reliability and validity.
The BDI has been widely used in research studies and clinical practice.
The revised BDI, known as the BDI-II, is the most widely used version of the questionnaire.
How the Beck Depression Inventory Is Used
The BDI is used to measure the severity of depression.
It can be used to screen for depression and monitor the course of treatment.
The BDI is not a diagnostic test, but it can help health care providers make adiagnosis.
The BDI can also be used to monitor the course oftreatment.
A decrease in scores over time indicates that the person’s symptoms are improving.
How Reliable Is the BDI?
Discriminant validity means that the BDI-II does not correlate highly with measures of other psychiatric symptoms such as anxiety.
There are several other depression screens that are not proprietary and are in the public domain for use.
There are many resources available to help you.
If you are having suicidal thoughts, contact theNational Suicide Prevention Lifelineat1-800-273-8255for support and assistance from a trained counselor.
If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.
For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.
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