How Does the Beck Depression Inventory Work?
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Introduction
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The Beck Depression Inventory was created by Dr. Aaron Beck in 1961. The inventory is often given by psychologists and counselors to individuals for them to assess the extent of their current depression. It has undergone various revisions and updates and remains an important mental health tool for those dealing with depression in themselves or others.
The Structure of the Beck Depression Inventory
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The Beck Depression Inventory is a questionnaire. It consists of 21 questions designed to be answered by an individual who may be in a depressed state of mind. Each question has four possible answers, and is structured in such a way that a clear picture of the test-taker's mental state of mind is made apparent.
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How the Beck Depression Inventory Works
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The inventory is given to individuals who may potentially be clinically depressed. The individual is asked to answer each question honestly regarding how he or she has felt in the past seven days. The possible answers are structured in the first person. For example, an individual may be asked to choose from the possible statements: "I do not feel sad,"; "I feel sad," "I am sad all the time and I can't snap out of it" and "I am so sad or unhappy that I can't stand it."
Scoring the Test
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The inventory is then collected by a psychologist or mental health professional. He or she will review the questionnaire and assign each answer a score. The scores for each answer on the inventory are added, and the sum is checked against a ranking chart that scales the severity of the test-taker's depression by intensity.
How the Test Helps in Clinical Treatment
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After a score is created, the health professional can use this information as part of an overall analyses to make an educated decision on how the situation should be treated. Individuals with clinical depression may be given medication to help treat the condition, while individuals without depression may be guided accordingly.
What a Beck Depression Inventory Score Means
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An inventory score of 0-9 means that the test-taker is not depressed at all. An inventory score of 10-18 tells the health professional that the test-taker is moderately depressed. A score of 19-29 means the individual has moderate-severe depression. Any score higher than 29 tells the health professional that the test-taker has severe depression and may require immediate medical attention.
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