Beck Depression Inventory (DBI)

Clinically significant depression is a problem that affects more than 4% of the world's inhabitants. This form of psychological disorder is effectively treatable.

If you seek help in a timely manner, you can quickly cure this condition so that nothing reminds you of it anymore.

However, many are unaware that they are victims of this disorder. The Beck Depression Scale can help - a kind of indicator that focuses on typical complaints, key symptoms for this illness.

What is the Aaron Beck Test

The depression test discussed in this article appeared in the mid-20th century thanks to the American psychotherapist Aaron Beck. It is based on clinical studies that have led to the identification of a narrow set of symptoms. From them it was almost unmistakably possible to identify this disorder.

The resulting Beck Depression Test Questionnaire consisted of 21 types of characteristic states in which the patient may be. Each of them contained up to five statements that were correlated with individual specific features. They are distributed according to the increasing significance of the symptom, to what extent it is capable of aggravating the severity of this psychological pathology.

Aaron Beck at work

Originally, you could take the Beck Depression Test with a qualified examiner. He voiced each point and waited for the client to settle on the option that best corresponded to the state in which the patient was now. The person himself could only follow the progress of the survey from the copy he received.

In addition to recording the answers, the expert noted the patient’s conditions and compiled an anamnesis. If necessary, I recorded data on IQ and parameters that were significant for the given situation.

Taking the Beck Depression Inventory test has now become much easier. It was decided to simplify it as much as possible, at least everything related to the procedure itself. A person receives questions directly into his hands. Filling out occurs independently, on an individual basis.

Beck Depression Inventory. Description of the technique ↑

The development of the test was carried out on the basis of clinical observations that identified the main symptoms of depression and recorded the most common complaints of patients. The test was adjusted several times, one of its latest versions was released in 1996. The first publication of the questionnaire took place in 1961.

The Beck test is used not only to assess the condition of adults, but also to diagnose depression in adolescents over 13 years of age. There is an adapted version of the questionnaire for teenagers.

The Beck Depression Inventory helps assess the dynamics of depressive disorders, which allows the test to be used to assess the quality of treatment.

How is depression assessed?

To obtain reliable results from the Beck Depression Test, you must carefully and carefully follow all instructions.

The methodology is a list of statements. They must be read carefully. Only one of them needs to be assigned to each category so that it comes closest to it. The statement should best reflect how the person has felt over the last few days.

It is recommended to take the Beck Depression Inventory test in a calm environment and do it slowly. Before each choice, you should make sure that you have read and understood all the possible options.

You can now take the Beck Depression Test online and for free. After all, it is extremely difficult to establish such a state in yourself. There are several objective reasons for this:

Signs and symptoms may indicate another condition. During depression, a person may often believe that the lack of joy and color in his life is a consequence of ordinary overwork.
If more serious somatic manifestations appear, they are still promptly attributed to chronic disorders occurring in the body.
A person may simply not find time to visit a doctor, considering that it is not as important as work or other concerns.

At this time, the condition worsens literally every week. If you do not take at least the online Beck Scale test on time, it is simply not possible to assess depression.

Types of depressive disorders

How to take the test for free

Now there are many offers on how to take the Beck Depression Inventory test online and for free. The big advantage is that you don’t have to spend a lot of time completing it.

The method under consideration is a popular and sought-after way to determine depressive syndrome even in the early stages. It is noteworthy that shortly after its creation, the questionnaire was repeatedly updated and rewritten.

This was done only out of necessity so that the information contained did not contradict international research related to the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. The last time the test was changed was in 1996.

If you decide to take the Beck Depression Test online, you will need to check only one option. At the very end, click the “Finish” button to find out the result.

The Beck Depression Inventory necessarily describes the following clinical symptoms of this mental disorder:

pessimistic attitude towards the world;
derogatory state of mind;
factors of dissatisfaction, recognition of personal uselessness, uselessness to anyone in this world;
unreasonable feelings of guilt with expected punishment in the very near future;
destruction of social contacts;
poor sleep, low performance;
lack of appetite, which can lead to anorexia;
loss of libido;
excessive fatigue;
increased irritability, turning into nervous breakdowns;
thoughts about taking his own life.

Such a state depresses a person.
When a person decides to take the Beck Depression Inventory test online, it is useful to know that the questionnaire itself is conditionally divided into two basic groups:

Questions No. 1-13 are formulated in such a way as to indicate to a person probable changes in his behavior, which can occur depending on the surrounding situation, but at the same time in a completely predictable and definite way (we are talking about the cognitive-affective subscale);
The second type is questions No. 14-21. Aimed at determining the somatic or physical manifestations of the disease.

You can take the Beck Depression Inventory online below. Having determined which option fits where, you need to determine how many points you managed to score.

Depression

Atherosclerosis

Thyrotoxicosis

Rheumatism

Arthritis

Gastritis

9655 January 30

IMPORTANT!

The information in this section cannot be used for self-diagnosis and self-treatment.
In case of pain or other exacerbation of the disease, diagnostic tests should be prescribed only by the attending physician. To make a diagnosis and properly prescribe treatment, you should contact your doctor. Depression is one of the most common mental disorders.

The criteria for a depressive episode are a daily decrease in mood that occupies most of the day, significantly different from the person’s usual state, for two weeks or more, an obvious decrease in interest and pleasure in activities usually associated with positive emotions, increased fatigue and motor retardation.

To the above symptoms you can add the following:

decreased attention;
loss of appetite;
insomnia;
decreased self-esteem;
thoughts about one's own guilt;
suicidal thoughts.

Types of depression

Psychogenic depression develops as a reaction to traumatic events.
Endogenous depression is caused by changes in the levels of hormones and neurotransmitters.
Exogenous depression occurs with various somatic diseases, as a result of brain damage and with the use of psychoactive substances.
Hidden (“masked”) depression manifests itself in the form of a somatic illness.

Causes of depression
The greatest difficulty is in diagnosing hidden, otherwise latent, depression.

When diagnosing it, it is important to exclude the presence of any organic diseases. After all, such depression has many manifestations, with which patients turn to general practitioners, cardiologists, neurologists, etc. However, examinations do not reveal any organic pathologies.

The most common form of such depression is cardiac. Patients feel excruciating pain in the heart area, palpitations, weakness, dizziness, but when undergoing a cardiac examination, no abnormalities are detected.

The abdominal variant is also common, in which pain occurs in any part of the abdomen, nausea, and loss of appetite.

The skin variant is characterized by redness and changes in skin sensitivity, the appearance of eczematous rashes, increased sweating, itching, often local (for example, itching of only the palms or legs).

The causes of the development of exogenous depression can be traumatic brain injuries, neuroinfections, tumor and vascular diseases of the brain (atherosclerosis, strokes and cerebral infarctions), and atrophic processes.

Psychogenic depression occurs after exposure to psychological trauma, which is an individually significant stressful event.

Endogenous depression occurs as an independent disease, and can also accompany bipolar disorder, which is characterized by alternating phases of mania, depression and mental stability.

There are frequent cases of depressive disorders in people who use psychoactive substances and alcohol.

Somatic diseases that can lead to depression are divided into groups.

Cardiac pathologies: myocardial infarction, arterial hypertension, chronic heart failure, arrhythmias.
Endocrine disorders: diabetes mellitus, hypo- and hyperthyroidism.
Gastrointestinal disorders: liver cirrhosis, colitis, etc., leading to impaired absorption and detoxification of harmful substances.
Rheumatic diseases: rheumatism, systemic connective tissue lesions, arthritis, etc. are accompanied by severe pain and require long-term treatment.
Neoplasms, especially malignant ones.

Postpartum depression is worth considering separately.
The development of this condition is facilitated by features of the postpartum period: hormonal changes in the body occur (the concentration of female sex hormones decreases), and the volume of circulating blood decreases.

Deterioration in health after childbirth, problems with breastfeeding, and changes in appearance have a significant impact. Depression develops in 10% of primiparous women from the 2nd to the 6th month after birth and is manifested by symptoms characteristic of all depression: motor retardation, worsening mood, tearfulness, changes in appetite. A feature of postnatal depression is a decrease in a woman’s interest in the child, irritation from the need to care for him. It is very important to diagnose this condition in a timely manner and undergo a course of treatment, since it is the child who suffers first.

Which doctors should I consult if I have depression?

In most cases, with depression, they seek help from a doctor, , , , depending on the cause of the complaints. Many patients avoid seeking help from a psychiatrist or psychologist. However, specialists in the field of psychiatry and psychology not only diagnose the causes of depression, but also help to cope with the depressive state.

Diagnosis of depression

A doctor of any specialty can suspect depression. However, diagnosis of depression is possible only by a psychiatrist who will conduct a survey and analyze the data obtained. To exclude organic pathology in masked and exogenous depression, depending on the symptoms, the doctor may prescribe a set of laboratory and instrumental examinations:

clinical blood test;

Decoding results online

You can take the Beck Depression Test for free. To find out the total, you will need to estimate which category the number of points scored corresponds to.

Beck's cognitive triad

The Beck Depression Inventory is believed to be able to identify five types of different conditions:

From 0 to 9 – the patient is completely absent of depression.
From 10 to 15 – a light stage, which is also called subdepression;
From 16 to 19 – a moderate depressive state, which does not yet indicate serious problems, but should cause some concern. At the first opportunity, you need to make an appointment with a psychotherapist to talk about your condition in order to make an accurate diagnosis.
From 20 to 29 points – a pronounced depressive state of moderate severity, in which it is recommended to immediately make an appointment with a psychotherapist and receive qualified and professional help.
From 30 to 63 points – a state of severe depression in which a person requires urgent psychological help.

Before you start answering the Beck test online, you need to strain your memory and concentrate as much as possible. The reliability of the result depends on how accurately you can formulate your statements.

It is important to reflect in as much detail and realistically as possible your feelings and emotions experienced over the past week.

The Beck Depression Test online with transcript exists in a simplified version, popular among teenagers. In this case, the maximum you can score is only 39 points. In this case, the following decoding of the results is used:

From 0 to 9 points – there is no depression.
From 10 to 19 points – average depressive state – subdepression.
From 23 to 39 points – severe depressive state.

It is imperative to take the Beck Depression Inventory, especially when a person experiences unstable psychological states.

Depression prevents you from living a full life

Procedure ↑

Initially, testing was carried out in the presence of an expert who read out the wording of the statements. The patient was given a copy of the questionnaire, but he answered orally.

Interpretation

Interpreting the Beck Depression Inventory allows you to understand in more detail what the results of this test mean. It is important to consider that an adult (man or woman) and a teenager need to treat the results obtained differently.

If subdepression is not a threat to a physically and psychologically accomplished person, then for a teenager, scoring 19 points online on the Beck Depression Scale is a reason to be seriously concerned about his condition. In this case, you need to see a doctor immediately.

The Beck scale test for diagnosing depression allows only a basic determination of the presence of the disease itself and the degree of its severity. The rest should be handled by professionals. Only a psychotherapist will be able to accurately identify the symptoms, establish what caused this condition, and what methods and methods can most quickly cure it.

When the results indicate a severe form of depression, this in any case requires urgent and immediate drug and psychotherapeutic treatment. As therapy progresses, it is recommended that you continue to take this questionnaire at regular intervals. The exact timing can be clarified during a personal consultation with your doctor.

If the treatment was chosen correctly, the results will gradually decrease, tending to zero. Professional psychotherapists consider complete recovery to be a test result of 10 points. After this, we can say with confidence that the patient is in absolutely no danger.

If there is even the slightest suspicion of any mental disorder, you should regularly conduct self-examinations. Now there is nothing complicated about it. All questionnaires are available.

If you do not receive qualified help at a severe stage, this can lead to serious irreversible consequences. A person loses social connections and quarrels with family and friends. Loses not only psychological, but also physical health. In this situation, there is a possibility of a suicide attempt.

Severe stage of depression

Other tests for depression

The Beck Depression Inventory test is not the only test that helps determine this disease. There are other common methods:

Zung test for depression;
Sheehan Anxiety Scale;
Dayhoff Internal Aggression Test;
Leonhard characterological questionnaire;
MMPI.

Any of the tests carried out independently only indicates possible problems. Only a doctor can determine an accurate diagnosis.