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.

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,

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

Different sub-groups among the Latino Community possesses varying rates of psychological disorders. A recent study, conducted by the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, surveyed those of the Latino and Hispanic Communities in the United States. This study revealed, that generally, 27% of Latinos reported having higher levels of depression. Among the various Latino groups, those having a lower score of 22.3% were those of the Mexican descent and those having a

Instead of seeking mental health services for emotional or psychological concern, Latinos tend to seek medical care services from a physician. Both (Gelman, 2005; Bedoya, 2014; Organista, 1995) portray Latinos favoring mental health services through primary care than a mental health care setting. Many Latinos misinterpret physical symptoms as a medical illness when, in fact, it may be due to psychological condition. It is not uncommon for Latinos to mainly present mental issues as physical complaints (González-Prendes, Hindo, & Pardo, 2011, p. 380). Similarly Kanter et al. (2008) states, “Depression in Latino immigrants with low acculturation often is characterized somatic complaints with less awareness and identification of psychological symptoms”

Beck (1967) provides a psychological explanation of MD from a cognitive perspective. He proposes a cognitive theory of depression that includes the primary negative triad in depression, which reflects “three major cognitive patterns” that depicts how depressed individuals view themselves, the world and the future “in an idiosyncratic way”. This theory focuses on negative schema and dysfunctional attitudes contributing to MD, which can be clarified as inflexible cognitive structures that negatively filter and bias information (Hankin et al., 2009). Support for this theory is demonstrated by Boury et al (2001) in the exploratory study monitoring student’s negative thoughts with the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), where it was found that “BDI-II

Latino’s are one of the largest ethnic minority groups in the United States, in which one-third of the Latino population is under the age of 18 ( PEW Research Center, 2017). As research studies have determined, the prevalence of mental illness tends to increase during the adolescent years affecting one in four adolescents (Lawton & Gerdes, 2014). It is reported that 30% of youth in the United States experiences an episode of sadness once a month (Lorenzo et. al, 2016). The prevalence of mental illness among Latino youth is strongly associated with the exposure of high rates of culturally relevant stressors, such as discrimination, in which can increase the risk of a mental illness (e.g., depression, and anxiety).

Depression develops via the experience of aversive environmental events and chronic stress during childhood” (Bitsika,& Sharpley, 2010 pg 3). Client X grew up in an urban city; the population of roughly 70,000 is widely Hispanic and has given a Latino tilt to the local economy and culture. We exist in a multicultural nation where “culturally informed, evidence-based treatment (EBT) is fundamental to sound clinical work” (Duarté‐Vélez, Bernal, Bonilla, Morales, Eduardo & Norcross, 2010 pg 895). Latinos are the most rapidly growing ethnic minority group in the United States and face great environmental challenges. Many professional agree that this population faces tremendous risk factors for Latino 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.

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).

There are many people in the United States who are experiencing mental health problems, yet, according to research, most of these people are not seeking help. Since it is expected that about 40 percent of adolescents living in the Unites States will be Latin-American by 2060 (qtd. In Kapke), this has made researchers want to help provide effective, accessible, and appropriate services for Latin-American families. In the article “Latino Early Adolescent Mental Health: Examining the Impact of Family Functioning, Familism, and Global Self-Worth” by Theresa Kapke, she explains that Latin American children are at risk of mental health problems due to discrimination, immigration, and serious cases of poverty that is forced upon them. Also in the

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.