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The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) is a self-report psychometric test designed to measure the severity of depression in adults and adolescents.
The BDI consists of 21 statements corresponding to a specific symptom or attitude associated with depression. Individuals rate how strongly these statements describe how they’ve been feeling over the past two weeks on a scale of 0 to 3 (where “no symptom present” = 0, and “maximum severity” = 3).
The scores for all 21 statements are then added up. Higher total scores suggest more severe depression:
- 0–13: Minimal depression
- 14–19: Mild depression
- 20–28: Moderate depression
- 29–63: Severe depression
Symptoms on the BDI
Depressive symptoms are scored on a scale from 0 to 3:
- 0 = Symptom is absent
- 1 = Mild symptom intensity / occasional
- 2 = Moderate symptom intensity / frequent
- 3 = Severe symptom intensity / persistent
| Symptom | Absent | Occasional | Frequent | Persistent |
| Sadness | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Pessimism | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Past Failure | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Loss of Pleasure | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Guilty Feelings | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Punishment Feelings | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Self-Dislike | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Self-Criticalness | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Suicidal Thoughts or Wishes | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Crying | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Agitation | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Loss of Interest | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Indecisiveness | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Worthlessness | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Loss of Energy | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Changes in Sleeping Pattern | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Irritability | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Changes in Appetite | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Concentration Difficulty | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Tiredness or Fatigue | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Loss of Interest in Sex | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
The total score is calculated by adding up the values (where “no symptom” = 0, and “severe symptom” = 3) for all 21 items. Higher scores indicate more severe depressive symptoms:
- 0–13: Minimal depression
- 14–19: Mild depression
- 20–28: Moderate depression
- 29–63: Severe depression