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Development of Beck's Depression Scale

The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) is a tool used by mental health professionals to measure depression and assess its severity in patients. The Inventory's development began in 1961.

  1. Features

    • The Beck Inventory has 21 questions filled out by a patient. Each question is designed to measure emotions and thoughts related to depression such as hopelessness, irritability, guilt. It also measures physical symptoms of depression such as fatigue, decreased libido and weight loss.

    Function

    • Aaron Beck, the developer of the BDI, observed that patients who were prone to depression reported negative views of themselves and their environments. The questions on the BDI were written directly from patient statements, creating a test patients could directly identify with--the first of its kind.

    Benefits

    • In addition to allowing patients to personally relate to its questions, it asks them to rate the severity to which they experience each issue. This allows clinicians to not only examine what type of depression a patient experiences, but also its severity.

    Significance

    • The BDI was the first test to truly measure depression in patients. Because it is based on patients self-report, it remains a very accurate measure of depression symptoms and their severity.

    Considerations

    • Although the BDI remains one of the most popular tools for mental health practitioners to measure depression, it should not take the place of a full mental health assessment, as there are many aspects of depression to consider.

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