1. The Beck Depression Inventory A Formal Analysis
Presented and Created By:
Stacy Escobar, Kim Kubal,
and Michael Williams

2. A Brief History and Overview
Created by Aaron T. Beck; first published in 1961
Original version featured 21 questions/statements in regards to how the subject felt in the past week
Included multiple statements/questions that indicated the same depression ranking/score; ‘(2a) I am blue or sad all the time and I can’t snap out of it’ + ‘(2b) I am so sad or unhappy that it is very painful’
The BDI-1A is introduced in the early 1970s and officially copyrighted in 1978
A and B statements removed
Addressed only 6 of 9 DSM III criteria for depression diagnosis

3. History and Overview Continued…
The BDI-II (the focus of this presentation) is introduced in 1996
Developed in response to the publication of the DSM IV
Body image, hypochondriasis, and difficulty working questions/statements were replaced
Sleep loss and appetite inquiries were modulated to assess for both increases and decreases
All but three inquiries were reworded
Participants are now asked about previous 2 weeks as opposed to just 1

4. Intended Use
The BDI-II is intended to assess the severity of depression in psychiatrically diagnosed adults and adolescents 13 years of age and older
Used with all groups, including various ethnic and cross-cultural groups
Potential for Suicide
Identification of irrational beliefs and relevant symptoms
The BDI can be utilized both for short- term and longitudinal purposes; it is capable of measuring patient success rate in therapy and the status of the patient’s depression

5. Reliability/Validity
High concurrent validity ratings between the BDI and other depression instruments such as the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory and the Hamilton Depression Scale
One of the most widely used psychological metrics for depression testing
(on average) correlation rating compared with inventory and psychiatric ratings
High construct validity; coefficient alpha rating of .92 for outpatients and .93 for college student samples
High sensitivity/specificity scores; few false positives (high specificity) and high sensitivity (correctly identified depressive diagnosis; low false negatives)
Not overly sensitive to daily (normal) variations in mood

6. Technical Data
The BDI consists of 21 questions, each one scored on a scale value of 0-3
0-13: Minimal Depression
14-19: Mild Depression
20-28: Moderate Depression
29-63: Severe Depression
Scores are determined by adding the values (0-3) that an individual scores on each statement/question
Depression can be seen as exhibiting itself on two diagnosable levels – somatic and affective; the BDI reflects this notion and essentially tests for depression via two subscales

7. Technical Data Continued…
Affective Subscale
Pessimism
Past Failures
Guilty Feelings
Punishment Feelings
Low Self Regard
Self Critical
Suicidal Ideation
Worthlessness

8. Technical Data Continued…
Somatic Subscale
Sadness
Anhedonia
Crying
Agitation
Loss Of Interest
Indecisiveness
Lethargy
Change In Sleep Patterns
Irritability
Change In Appetite
Difficulty Concentrating
Loss Of Interest In Sex
Both scales moderately correlated at 0.57, suggesting somatic and affective relation as opposed to distinction

9. Limitations
Subject to the same issues as most other self-report assessments
Can be exaggerated or minimized by subject
Context matters; the presence of others while a subject takes the assessment can skew results
Co-morbid physical illness can skew the somatic scale
The BDI can be subject to ‘faking bad’ given that results are taken directly from the patient’s questionaire

10. Research
Psychometric Properties of the Beck Depression Inventory-II in Low- Income, African American Suicide Attempters (J. Pers. Assess - Sep )
Cross cultural examination – critical to determine effectiveness
Most participants in previous studies have been white and middle-class
Prior research has suggested that experiences of depression among medically ill patients (as opposed to psychiatric patients) are more likely to endorse somatic items and less likely to report affective issues
Participants age 16 and older/English speaking; 133 African American in a total sample of 216; 71% reported incomes less than $12,000
Revised Hamilton Scale for Depression utilized

11. Research Continued… Results
Evidence supported dimensionality, reliability, and validity of the BDI-II

12. References
Groth-Marnat, G. (2009). Handbook of Psychological Assessment. Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Joe, S., Woolley, M.E., Brown, G.K., Ghahramanlou-Holloway, M. Beck, A.T. (2008). Psychometric Properties of the Beck Depression Inventory-II in Low Income, African American Suicide Attempters. Journal of Personality Assessment, 90(5), doi: /
The Beck Depression Inventory. Retrieved from PartA/1.pdf (nd).