Beck's Depression Inventory - Assignment Example

Each item contains 4 statements, in a sequence with increasing severity regarding a particular area of depression. The highest possible score would be sixty-three if the individual marked number 3 on each of the 21 items. Main items include an individual’s behavior in relation to weight loss, changes in the image of the body, changes in sleep and appetite, and sexual desires. The latest version of Beck’s Depression Inventory contains many revised items, like one item that tapped work difficulty, was replaced by a statement about the loss of energy.

Hence, the revised version makes this inventory right in accordance with DSM-IV. This inventory can be self-administered by individuals and is also used by clinicians to measure and assess the rate of depression among their patients. The inventory is a very efficient tool and can examine a person’s depression in a very short time, thus enabling him to get acquainted with his personality and behavioral patterns.