Cited by 1,577Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive ProcessesPsychometric Methodologies and TestingPsychological Testing and Assessment

Psychometric properties of the Beck Depression Inventory-II: a comprehensive review

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Wang, Yuan-Pang, Gorenstein, Clarice·2013·Revista Brasileira de Psiquiatria

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To review the psychometric properties of the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) as a self-report measure of depression in a variety of settings and populations. METHODS: Relevant studies of the BDI-II were retrieved through a search of electronic databases, a hand search, and contact with authors. Retained studies (k = 118) were allocated into three groups: non-clinical, psychiatric/institutionalized, and medical samples. RESULTS: The internal consistency was described as around 0.9 and the retest reliability ranged from 0.73 to 0.96. The correlation between BDI-II and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-I) was high and substantial overlap with measures of depression and anxiety was reported. The criterion-based validity showed good sensitivity and specificity for detecting depression in comparison to the adopted gold standard. However, the cutoff score to screen for depression varied according to the type of sample. Factor analysis showed a robust dimension of general depression composed by two constructs: cognitive-affective and somatic-vegetative. CONCLUSIONS: The BDI-II is a relevant psychometric instrument, showing high reliability, capacity to discriminate between depressed and non-depressed subjects, and improved concurrent, content, and structural validity. Based on available psychometric evidence, the BDI-II can be viewed as a cost-effective questionnaire for measuring the severity of depression, with broad applicability for research and clinical practice worldwide.

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Authors
Wang, Y.-P., & Gorenstein, C.
Affiliations
Universidade de São Paulo (BR)
Venue
Revista Brasileira de Psiquiatria
Published
2013-12
Volume
35
Issue
4
Pages
416-431
ISSN
1516-4446 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2097313012
Cited by
1,577
References
155
Citations by year
2026: 135 · 2025: 189 · 2024: 209 · 2023: 187 · 2022: 178 · 2021: 195 · 2020: 145 · 2019: 110 · 2018: 70 · 2017: 67 · 2016: 43 · 2015: 29 · 2014: 17
FWCI
4.91
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by-nc
Locations
  • Brazilian Journal of Psychiatry (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) (publishedVersion, other-oa)
  • Portuguese National Funding Agency for Science, Research and Technology (RCAAP Project by FCT) (publishedVersion)
  • Americanae (AECID Library) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (08/11415-9)
  • Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
  • Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › Management Science and Operations Research › Psychometric Methodologies and Testing
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Psychological Testing and Assessment
Keywords
Beck Depression Inventory-II, depression assessment, psychometric properties, self-report questionnaire, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, criterion validity, sensitivity and specificity, depression severity, institutionalized populations, medical patients
MeSH terms
Depression, Depressive Disorder, Female, Humans, Male, Psychiatric Status Rating Scales, Psychometrics, Surveys and Questionnaires, Sensitivity and Specificity, Reproducibility of Results

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