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Beck Depression Inventory Pros And Cons

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The Beck Depression Inventory is a 21 item test that looks to assess the depressive symptoms and severity of those symptoms in clients. There have been three versions of this test; BDI, BDI- 1A and the BDI-II. The questions are asked on a scale from 0-3 The test can be scored from a score of 0-63, with multiple ranges equating to different severities of depression. This test typically takes 10 minutes when self-administered and about 15 minutes when administered by interview. This is both good and bad. When a test takes only 10-15 minutes to administer. I would question the depth that the test is going into. There are many different factors that could go into someone being depressed and I am not sure that enough are being addressed with this test. However, 10-15 minutes is quick and efficient. Those who are depressed …show more content…

While there are issues with reliability and the norm group, I think the pros outweigh the cons. This test can be easily administered and scored by anyone without any training. The validity is good and depression is measured and no other constructs are taken into consideration. The norm group should have been better. With a test that is given so often, the norm group should have been larger and covered a wider range of ethnicity and background. The realiability was not tested extensively, with only 26 people being re-tested. However, the coefficient was still high as it should have been. This is offset by the fact that the test cannot be given that much later, as the patients progress and treatment would have to be taken into account over a longer period of time. This test measures depression well and is used often to measure the depressive levels of symptoms. It is a quick and efficient way to measure depression. Depression is the true construct being measured with this test. This test has its issues, as all tests do, but overall it is a good measure of one’s level of

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