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Mental-health professionals use the Beck Depression Inventory, or BDI, to gauge the level of depression in an individual and help the person know when to seek treatment. First used in 1961, the BDI has undergone several revisions --- the BDI-1A and the BDI II. The BDI contains a list of 21 items, and people completing the assessment must select on a scale of 0 to 3 how much each item describes the way they currently feel.
American Psychiatrist Aaron T. Beck's model of depression proposes that individuals develop negative belief systems, called schemas, which cause the person to develop a negative view of themselves, the world and the future.
