Beck Depression Inventory
March 1, 2000
Beck Depression Inventory
The Beck Depression Inventory is the self-assessment tool used by the University of Pittsburgh study mentioned in this article. There are many such tools, and this one often is considered one of the most effective. The tool was developed by Aaron T. Beck, MD.
Record the number next to the answer which best reflects how you have been feeling during the past few days. Be sure to answer all 21 questions.
1. ___ 0 - I do not feel sad.
___ 1 - I feel sad.
___ 2 - I am sad all the time, and I can’t
snap out of it.
___ 3 - I am so sad or unhappy that I can’t
stand it.
2. ___ 0 - I am not particularly discouraged about
the future.
___ 1 - I feel discouraged about the future.
___ 2 - I feel I have nothing to look forward to.
___ 3 - I feel that the future is hopeless and that
things cannot improve.
3. ___ 0 - I do not feel like a failure.
___ 1 - I feel I have failed more than the average
person.
___ 2 - As I look back on my life, all I can see is
a lot of failures.
___ 3 - I feel I am a complete failure as a person.
4. ___ 0 - I get as much satisfaction out of things as
I used to.
___ 1 - I don’t enjoy things the way I used to.
___ 2 - I don’t get real satisfaction out of
anything anymore.
___ 3 - I am dissatisfied or bored with
everything.
5. ___ 0 - I don’t feel particularly guilty.
___ 1 - I feel guilty a good part of the time.
___ 2 - I feel guilty most of the time.
___ 3 - I feel guilty all of the time.
6. ___ 0 - I don’t feel I am being punished.
___ 1 - I feel I may be punished.
___ 2 - I expect to be punished.
___ 3 - I feel I am being punished.
7. ___ 0 - I don’t feel disappointed in myself.
___ 1 - I am disappointed in myself.
___ 2 - I am disgusted with myself.
___ 3 - I hate myself.
8. ___ 0 - I don’t feel I am any worse than anyone
else.
___ 1 - I am critical of myself for my weaknesses
or mistakes.
___ 2 - I blame myself all the time for my faults.
___ 3 - I blame myself for everything bad that
happens.
9. ___ 0 - I don’t have any thoughts of killing
myself.
___ 1 - I have thoughts of killing myself, but I
would not carry them out.
___ 2 - I would like to kill myself.
___ 3 - I would kill myself if I had the chance.
10. ___ 0 - I don’t cry any more than usual.
___ 1 - I cry more now than I used to.
___ 2 - I cry all the time now.
___ 3 - I used to be able to cry, but now I can’t
cry even though I want to.
11. ___ 0 - I am no more irritated by things than I
ever am.
___ 1 - I am slightly more irritated now than
usual.
___ 2 - I am quite annoyed or irritated a good
deal of the time.
___ 3 - I feel irritated all the time now.
12. ___ 0 - I have not lost interest in other people.
___ 1 - I am less interested in other people than
I used to be.
___ 2 - I have lost most of my interest in other
people.
___ 3 - I have lost all of my interest in other
people.
13. ___ 0 - I make decisions about as well as I ever
could.
___ 1 - I put off making decisions more than I
used to.
___ 2 - I have greater difficulty in making
decisions than before.
___ 3 - I can’t make decisions at all anymore.
14. ___ 0 - I don’t feel that I look any worse than I
used to.
___ 1 - I am worried that I am looking old or
unattractive.
___ 2 - I feel that there are permanent changes
in my appearance that make me look
unattractive.
___ 3 - I believe that I look ugly.
15. ___ 0 - I can work about as well as before.
___ 1 - It takes an extra effort to get started at
doing something.
___ 2 - I have to push myself very hard to do
anything.
___ 3 - I can’t do any work at all.
16. ___ 0 - I can sleep as well as usual.
___ 1 - I don’t sleep as well as I used to.
___ 2 - I wake up 1-2 hours earlier than usual
and find it hard to get back to sleep.
___ 3 - I wake up several hours earlier than I
used to and cannot get back to sleep.
17. ___ 0 - I don’t get more tired than usual.
___ 1 - I get tired more easily than I used to.
___ 2 - I get tired from doing almost anything.
___ 3 - I am too tired to do anything.
18. ___ 0 - My appetite is no worse than usual.
___ 1 - My appetite is not as good as it used
to be.
___ 2 - My appetite is much worse now.
___ 3 - I have no appetite at all anymore.
19. ___ 0 - I haven’t lost much weight, if any, lately.
___ 1 - I have lost more than 5 pounds [2 kg].
___ 2 - I have lost more than 10 pounds [4 kg].
___ 3 - I have lost more than 15 pounds [6 kg].
20. ___ 0 - I am no more worried about my health
than usual.
___ 1 - I am worried about physical problems
such as aches and pains, upset
stomach, or constipation.
___ 2 - I am very worried about physical
problems, and it’s hard to think of
much else.
___ 3 - I am so worried about my physical
problems that I cannot think about
anything else.
21. ___ 0 - I have not noticed any recent change in
my interest in sex.
___ 1 - I am less interested in sex than I used
to be.
___ 2 - I am much less interested in sex now.
___ 3 - I have lost interest in sex completely.
Total the score for each of the above items. Interpret according to the scale below.
Total score
Levels of depression
1-10: These ups and downs are considered normal.
11-16: Mild mood disturbance
17-20: Borderline clinical depression
21-30: Moderate depression
31-40: Severe depression
40 or higher: Extreme depression
A score of 17 or more requires professional treatment.