The first test was based on the theory of negative cognitive distortions (Jackson-Koku, 2016).

It was originally created in English and then translated into many languages regarding the existing variety of cultures and traditions (Lee et al., 2017). The creation of the BDI is a significant achievement of this psychiatrist. The lack of workers made him one of the leading practitioners of psychoanalysis in the region. He wanted to discover some new functions of the brain and focus on neurological impairments. However, his first intention was to unite his career with neurology. The background of this psychiatrist was closely connected to cognitive therapy development. For example, this test was created as a part of psychotherapy for depression by Aaron T. Historyĭespite the existing concerns and debates around the BDI in psychology, there are several historical facts that stay unchangeable. Not much evaluation is available to prove the correctness of BDI results for the patients of different ages. Regarding the statistical data that depression can bother young children (Lee et al., 2017), the main question about the appropriateness of the BDI remains open for today’s discussion.

One of the significant factors is the detection of behavioral changes or concerns during the last two weeks (Huang & Chen, 2015). According to Huang and Chen (2015), this scale is applied to prove the presence of depression among adolescents and adults older than 13 years. It consists of 21 items that introduce a self-reporting questionnaire (Jackson-Koku, 2016 Wang & Gorenstein, 2013). The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) is one of the most frequently used scales with the help of which people can evaluate the severity of depression. Formal assessments with properly defined measures can be offered by clinicians to different patients. Therefore, the detection of depression at its early stage, the evaluation of the risks, and the definition of the level of depression are the main goals. About 60% of depressed people have their first mental health problems at their adolescence and develop them into one of the more serious episodes of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) in their adulthood (Lee et al., 2017). It can be an outcome of various chronic medical illnesses such as heart disease, cancer, or diabetes, or a standing alone psychological problem that requires special treatment (Wang & Gorenstein, 2013). General Descriptionĭepression is a global health issue.

The Beck Depression Inventory has a long way of development with two main editions of the original version, and despite its subjectivity, this tool is characterized by its usefulness and accessibility to clinicians and researchers in their intentions to assess depression and the level of its severity. In this paper, special attention to one of the well-known psychometric tests, the Beck Depression Inventory, with its history, benefits, and limitations will be paid. There are many forms of depression, as well as many ways to diagnose and treat it, which explains the importance of credible and effective screening instruments to be used. Globally, depression is observed among 5-17% of the population, including 10% of children (Lee, Lee, Hwang, Hong, & Kim, 2017 Roelofs et al., 2013). It is also necessary to admit that a peculiar feature of this mental disorder is that its progress may occur for years or cause functional impairment in several days. Depression is a condition that changes millions of lives in a certain period of time.

Bdi depression