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Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)
One of the most widely used self-report inventories for depression. The subject answers 21 items on a continuum from 0 'I don't feel sad' to 3 'I am so sad or unhappy that I can't stand it'. The BDI focuses on cognitive symptoms of depression, i.e. pessimism & diminished self-esteem. 7 items assess physical symptoms. It correlates well with a psychiatrist's rating of depression.
Advantages:
1) useful screening tool for depression in the elderly
2) assesses severity of depression
3) monitors mood changes over time
Disadvantages:
- not reliable for subjects with physical disabilities
- high item difficulty
- lack of representative norms, thus doubtful objectivity of interpretation
- controversial factorial validity
- instability of scores over short time intervals ( 1 day)
- poor discriminant validity against anxiety [2]
Related
Beck anxiety inventory (BAI)
General
screening for depression (includes depression assessment tools)
References
- Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment, Osterweil et al eds,
McGraw Hill, New York, 2000, pg 93, 113
- Richter P et al
On the validity of the Beck Depression Inventory. A review.
Psychopathology. 1998;31(3):160-8.
PMID: 9636945