Purpose Of The Beck Depression Inventory ( BDI )

This instrument was developed by Aaron T. Beck who is a pioneer cognitive therapist. This instrument is commonly called the BDI and was developed in 1961. It was adapted in 1969 and a copyright was obtained in 1979. In developing the instrument Beck used a series of questions which enabled him to adequately measure the strength severity and complexity of depression. There are two versions of BDI, a long version which has 21 questions mostly used to measure specific symptom common with all patient suffering from depression. The shorter version which is composed of seven questions is meant to be used in a primary healthcare setting, with main purpose to evaluate, and monitor changes in of depression.

Depression is pervasive in both mental health and medical settings. In the US, the number of discharges with major depressive disorder as first-listed diagnosis was estimated 395,000 for 2010. The CDC also cites the percentage of persons 12 years of age and older with depression in any 2-week period at an estimated 8% between 2007-2010 (CDC, 2015). The American Psychiatric Associates guidelines on treatment of Major Depressive Disorder recommend the ongoing monitoring of symptoms among patients. Specifically, the APA recommends “systemically assessing symptoms of illness and the effects of treatment”. Consideration is given to matching clinical observations with clinician and/or patient administered rating scale measurements for initial and ongoing evaluation (American Psychiatric Association,

“Cognitive therapy first came to the attention of British psychologists and psychiatrists through the pioneering work of the British researchers who sought to evaluate the efficacy of Beck’s treatment for depression.”

The Beck Youth Inventory Test was developed in 2001 by Judith Beck, Aaron Beck, John Jolly, and Robert Steer. The purpose of this psychological testing tool is a brief self-report to measure the distress in children and adolescents (Flanagan & Henington, 2005). The Beck Youth Inventory includes using five self-administered scales. The five tests include the Beck Depression Inventory, Beck Anxiety Inventory, Beck Anger Inventory, Beck Disruptive Inventory, and the Beck Self-Concept Inventory. These tests can be administered individually or in combination to the youth. The intended population for this test is ages 7-14 years (Flanagan & Henington, 2005). This test is used to assess symptoms of depression, anxiety, anger, disruptive

Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) grew out of dissatisfaction of certain therapists with traditional psychoanalysis. Aaron Beck and Albert Ellis were both instrumental in the development of this approach to psychotherapy (Van Bilsen, p. 7), though Beck, a psychoanalyst, is primarily credited with its development. Beck did research on depression, in the 1950’s, which was intended to give evidence in support of the theory that retroflected hostility was at the root of depression, but the research failed to confirm his hypothesis. As a result, he expanded his research on depression and came to the realization that depressed subjects held predictably negative thoughts about themselves, the future and the world around

Major depression is a commonly diagnosed psychological disorder affecting individuals’ ability to feel happiness and peace of mind. Those who suffer experience negative emotions, lack of motivation, changes in behaviour and dysfunctional cognitive symptoms. Depression is classified by the Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders Fifth Edition (DSM-5) as five of more of the listed symptoms present persistently over the same two weeks. One of these symptoms must be depressed mood or loss of interest in previously pleasurable activities. Depression causes disruption to typical daily life such as inability to maintain friendships and jobs. Other symptoms outlined by the DSM-5 include; insomnia, fatigue and recurrent thoughts of death. There is much debate over what exactly causes depression. Biological explanations question hereditary and neurotransmitter factors. While psychological theories include the cognitive ideas of Beck’s negative triad and hopelessness theory. This essay will focus on the ways in which psychological and biological explanations contrast and how their theories can overlap to better understand depression.

Client reported feeling down within the last month and using heroin to cope. Client also reported feeling better and motivated towards the end of the month. Client completed a Beck Depression Inventory in which he scored a 6 indicating normal ups and downs. Client VA records confirm a diagnosis for PTSD and the medication list includes, Sertraline and Setraline HCL, as well as methadone to which the client appears compliant. Client reported he is medication compliant. Client denied any S/I or H/I.

DAS is recommended for this group as it is reliable and gives correct prediction and outcomes regarding depression. This assessment tool is easy to use; it is a self-report scale consisting of 40 items with each item having a statement and 7-point Likert scale. The questions used in this assessment are direct and easy making it efficient for most individuals' use (de Graaf, Roelofs, & Huibers, 2009). Besides,

In both Arbisi (2001) and Farmer’s (2001) review of the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) addresses an area of weaknesses was the prior version BDI lacked the diagnostic questions that related to self esteem, energy level, frustration and lack of interest. Both authors agreed that the change was necessary and now aligns with a full assessment of depression signs (Arbisi, 2001), (Farmer, 2001). It appears from the articles that both authors agree on the improvements and easy administration of the assessment.

The BDI-II is a 21-item self-report instrument measuring the severity of depression (e.g. looking at symptoms of depression) in adults and adolescents (Beck, et al., 1996).

According to Smarr (2003), the instrument was validated using college students, adult and adolescent psychiatric outpatients (Smarr, 2003). Today, the BDI-II is widely used for those patients as well as normal populations. According to Wang & Gorenstein (2013), the BDI-II can be easily adapted in most clinical settings for detecting major depression and recommending a suitable intervention (Wang & Gorenstein, 2013). Thus, in health care settings the BDI-II has been BDI-II has been expanding in practice in the pathologically ill to assess depressive states that occur at high prevalence (Wang & Gorenstein, 2013).

The inventory contains 21 items rated from 0 to 3 by the taker, with a total possible score of 63 points. Beck Inventory Depression (BDI) is recommended as a first-line option psychological test in the assessment of chronic pain patients. Intended as a brief measure of depression, this test is useful as a screen or as one test in a more comprehensive evaluation. However, 11/16/15 psychiatric evaluation report described that the patient had psychological testing done, including BDI and BAI. She was noted to have severe depression and severe anxiety on both inventories respectively. There is no indication to perform repeat inventories or psychological testing. Medical necessity of BDI and BAI has not been substantiated. Recommend

A client admits to alcohol dependency on a consistant and regular basis because the loss of job. The client exhibits hopelessness and depression. The client has explained they experiencing insomnia, and decreased energy to do anything. This explains their poor personal hygiene. As the clinician the safety of the client is of the utmost importance.

Aaron Beck is an American psychiatrist and a professor emeritus in the department of psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania (GoodTheraoy.org). Beck has had an interest in the changes of human nature goes as far back as he can remember. Beck is known as a trailblazer in the psychology world because he focused on disoriented thoughts that lead to problematic behaviors such as depression. “Beck struggled to find a way to help his depressed client’s better capture their emotions. He realized that many of his depressed clients experienced recurring negative thoughts and that as long as they believed these thoughts to be true, they would continue to have symptoms of depression”(GoodTherapy.org). Beck spent much of his career at the University of Pennsylvania and advocated for the application of cognitive behavioral therapy in the treatment of depression and other mood problems (GoodTherapy.org).

The Beck Anxiety Inventory is a 21-item scale that measures the severity of self-reported anxiety in adults and adolescents. The inventory was created by Aaron T. Beck and his colleague, Robert A. Steer, at the Center for Cognitive Therapy, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry. The most recent edition was published in 1993 by The Psychological Corporation, Harcourt Brace & Company in San Antonio, TX. The first edition was published in 1988. The 1993 edition recommends different scoring guidelines than previous editions. There is only one form and one manual as part of the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). To purchase the BAI in 2010, the manual and 25 scoring sheets