The Beck Depression Inventory-II

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.

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

Personality disorders have a sex prevalence rate and there has been some suggestion that those rates reflect gender bias. The bias concerns derived from the “conceptualization of personality disorders, the wording of diagnostic criteria, the application of diagnostic criteria, thresholds for diagnosis, clinical presentation, researching sampling, the self-awareness and openness of patients and the items included within self-report inventories” (Butcher, 2009, p. 356). Studies have failed to prove that there is significant gender bias in the DSM. However, research has showed there is gender bias within clinical judgments. For example, gender related items would be included within self-report inventories (Butcher, 2009). Clinicians tend to judge female patients as being mentally ill more readily than male patients, even when the symptoms are the same. Moreover, women are more likely to be cast as overly emotional, have a need for mood-altering medication and require ongoing monitoring/treatment (Zur and Nordmarken, 2010).

This can be problematic that can effect societal beliefs that can have a profound effect on how depression is diagnose due to racism. There is also a correlation on how Caucasian-Americans and African-Americans are treated differently when being diagnose with mental health disorders like depression. For example, Utsey, Chae, Brown, and Kelly (2002) found that for people of Color, cultural racism was related to lower levels of quality of life and that Blacks reported more experiences of individual and cultural race-related stress than other people of Color and had equal levels of institutional race-related stress. It is detrimental to address abnormalities of this of increase depression disorders due to racism against African-Americans because it can show correlations of socioeconomic status of African-Americans are placed into due to

Good and Good (1985) identity factors that contribute to bias in diagnostic judgements for people of color: inappropriate assessments, language (e.g., idioms of distress), and internalized racism. Scales for

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.

Scheff’s Labelling Theory is a process which involves labelling people with mental disorders when they produce behaviour that does not fit with socially constructed norms and labelling those who reflect stereotyped or stigmatized behaviour of the ‘mentally ill’. A disadvantage of labelling an individual with depression is that labelling can accentuate and prolong the issue. In addition by labelling someone with depression who in fact is not depressed may in fact become depressed as a result. Another problem is that labelling an individual with depression means that they can have problems with getting a job and leading a life in the future because

As a counselor to Alan I would used the following 5 assessments. I would use either Beck Depression Inventory or/both Hamilton Depression Inventory to look at the client’s depression. Alan admits to “being mildly depressed but insists, its not something I cant handle”. I think I would used the depression inventory to see where he would fall on the scale of his depression and then see how we can work with Alan. Though the client is well aware of the amount of alcohol or drug he uses. I would still apply both the Alcohol Use Inventory and the Substance Abuse subtle screening inventory. I think once we can show Alan how much alcohol and marijuana is affecting his life and how it will continue to affects his life. After we assess both his depression

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.

Clinical depression is an illness that significantly affects the way someone feels; causing a persistent pessimistic mood. There are two main types of depression; post trauma and clinical deposition. This medical condition is often accompanied by a range of other physical and psychological symptoms that can interfere with a person’s everyday life; affecting 6% of Australian adults every year. Symptoms for depression include sleeping pattern disturbances, loss of motivation and interest, feeling worthless or guilty, anxiety and impaired concentration. There are a few ways that this depressive illness can be caused: reaction to a distressing situation like loss or stress; part of an illness such

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).

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.

Max Hamilton created the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression and published the original assessment in 1960. The room for improvement of the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression was advised, which led to the revision of the assessment in 1994. This assessment is aimed to benefit adults eighteen and older who have been diagnosed with depression. The Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression is a 21-item questionnaire administered by interview, that requires an estimate of ten minutes (Reynolds & Kobak, 1995)

The Beck Depression Inventory is a self-administered test, administered in a group setting or individually, that measures the severity of depression symptoms and attitudes of depression (pg 1 of manual). The revised Beck Depression Inventory was specifically designed to assess the severity of depression in clinically diagnosed patients. However, the revised Beck Depression Inventory was not specifically developed to be used as a screening instrument in normal populations or to reflect any specific theory of depression. Although the BDI is oftentimes used for screening in normal populations, it should be used with caution because high BDI scores do not necessarily indicated depression. This provides an indication of the level of intensity a patient’s depression is for the past week including the day of administration for clinicians.