About the Beck Depression Inventory​

The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) was first developed by Aaron T. Beck, a psychiatrist, and researcher from the University of Pennsylvania, in the early 1960s. Beck's primary focus was to establish an objective measure of depression that could be utilized for clinical purposes. The original inventory was a 21-item instrument, designed to evaluate symptoms of depression, such as sadness, worthlessness, loss of interest, difficulty focusing, and suicidal ideation.

The BDI version 2 (BDI-II) was published in 1996, following extensive research into the reliability and validity of the original inventory. The BDI-II includes 21 items, each with four response options, and has a maximum score of 63, with higher scores indicating more severe depressive symptoms.

Beck's contribution to the field of mental health and psychology research extends beyond the BDI. He is also the founder of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), which is widely recognized as an evidence-based approach for treating various psychological disorders, including depression, anxiety, and personality disorders.

My thoughts​

This was timely because I've currently been in a depressive episode for about a month and a half - two months. I'm functional and managing, but when things are quiet and I'm alone, things are just sort of "meh." As of the posting of this, I'm riding at a score of 24 of this assessment.

I discuss it on episode 80 of the ADHD Big Brother Podcast

This resource is not meant to be a self-diagnostic tool, but I personally use it to gage if/when I am needing to check in with my psychiatrist to go back on anti-depressants...something I REALLY don't want to do.