Beck Depression Inventory-II By Aaron T. Beck

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

Based on a one-group, pre-test/post-test research design, the study targeted college students who were currently an undergraduate or graduate student, enrolled in at least 6-credit hours, at risk for depression, provided informed consent, and fluent in English (Buchanan, 2013). Participants attended group sessions, which focused on modifying risk factors (Buchanan, 2013). Group sessions lasted for 60 to 90 minutes and were scheduled once a week for four consecutive weeks (Buchanan, 2013). From a total of 17 recruitments, five students failed to complete the study, leaving only 12 participants to be included in data analysis (Buchanan, 2013). The outcomes of the study, depressive symptoms, negative thinking, and self-esteem, were measured by the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Crandell Cognitions Inventory (CCI), and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), respectively (RSES) (Buchanan, 2013).

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).

Furthermore, the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) is another tool used for depression diagnosis in general population and primary

The eight women were compared to ten other demographically matched women in the standard CBT treatment group (control) that had previously completed CBT treatment. Both group CBT interventions met once a week for sixteen weeks. Each session lasted 90 minutes, and had weekly homework assignments. The control group had rolling admissions, whereas the AACBT was a closed group. The AACBT consisted of changes to the CBT structure and content. Details of the changes are listed in Table 5 and Table 6. The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) was administered before and after treatment. Effect sizes were not reported in the study’s results. Before treatment, both the AACBT and control group participants’ BDI scores suggested severe depression. At post-treatment, participants in both groups improved as indicated by a decrease in BDI scores. The average BDI score decreased by -12.6 points for the AACBT group, and by -5.9 for the control group. The women in the AACBT group portrayed a larger decrease (-6.7) in pre- and post-BDI scores as compared to the control group. However, overall both groups’ BDI scores indicated a decrease from severe (32.3) to moderate (23.1)

Eric Beck was a 32-year-old single Caucasian man when he arrived at the psychiatric hospital. At the time, Eric was living with his parents and working part-time as a night watchman for a large professional building in the city. Although he had worked as a stockbroker and trained as a paralegal, Eric had been underemployed for several years.

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.

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

Depression is one of the common and severe major depressive disorder that affects the way of feeling, thinking and behaving. Depression can lead to a range of emotional and physical difficulties which may result in a person’s capability to function at work and home because of the feelings of sadness and loss of interest in activities once enjoyed. However, between 80 percent and 90 percent of people gain some relief from their depression symptoms after treatment. Therefore, depression is among the most treatable mental disorders. The development and maintenance of depression can be explained by the critical cognitive theories from Beck’s cognitive model of depression (1976). Furthermore, one of the most effective methods for treating depression has been created by this model. The central constructs within Beck’s model (1976) are schemas, negative, dysfunctional attitudes, cognitive distortions, the cognitive triad, and

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.