Take Beck's Depression Inventory: Scientific & Clinical Scale (BDI)

In mental health evaluations, screening tools with superficial questions can sometimes yield misleading results; they may misinterpret temporary fatigue or insomnia as a clinical condition. For this reason, in psychotherapy and clinical psychology practice, inventories with high discriminative power that analyze an individual's cognitive, emotional, and physical state in much greater depth are preferred.

Considered the gold standard in clinical settings worldwide, Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI) measures changes in an individual's inner world across 21 different categories using specifically structured severity statements for each topic. 

To complete the test more accurately and calculate your score correctly, we highly recommend grabbing a piece of paper and a pen before you begin. Note down the score (0, 1, 2, or 3) you give yourself for each question on your paper, and add them up at the end to find your scientific score evaluation.

The following inventory is a scientific scale designed for you to select the group of statements that best describes how you have been feeling over the past week, including today.

Beck's Depression Inventory Questions

  Read the statements in each group (0, 1, 2, 3) carefully, and select the score next to the statement that best summarizes your situation over the past week, including today.

 
  1. Sadness
  - 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. Pessimism
  - 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 the future is hopeless and that things cannot improve.

 
  3. Past Failure
  - 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 total failure as a person.

 
  4. Loss of Pleasure
  - 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. Guilty Feelings
  - 0: I don't feel particularly guilty.
  - 1: I feel guilty a good part of the time.
  - 2: I feel quite guilty most of the time.
  - 3: I feel guilty all of the time.

 
  6. Punishment Feelings
  - 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. Self-Dislike
  - 0: I feel the same about myself as ever.
  - 1: I have lost confidence in myself.
  - 2: I am disappointed in myself.
  - 3: I dislike myself.

 
  8. Self-Criticalness
  - 0: I don't criticize or blame myself more than usual.
  - 1: I am more critical of myself than I used to be.
  - 2: I criticize myself for all of my faults.
  - 3: I blame myself for everything bad that happens.

 
  9. Suicidal Thoughts or Wishes
  - 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. Crying
  - 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. Agitation (Restlessness)
  - 0: I am no more irritated now than I ever am.
  - 1: I get annoyed or irritated more easily than I used to.
  - 2: I feel irritated all the time now.
  - 3: I don't get irritated at all by the things that used to irritate me.

 
  12. Loss of Interest (Social Withdrawal)
  - 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. Indecisiveness
  - 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 more than I used to.
  - 3: I can't make decisions at all anymore.

 
  14. Worthlessness
  - 0: I do not feel I am worthless.
  - 1: I don't consider myself as useful or worthwhile as I used to.
  - 2: I feel more worthless compared to other people.
  - 3: I feel utterly worthless.

 
  15. Loss of Energy
  - 0: I have as much energy as ever.
  - 1: I have less energy than I used to have.
  - 2: I don't have enough energy to do very much.
  - 3: I don't have enough energy to do anything.

 
  16. Changes in Sleeping Pattern
  - 0: I have not experienced any change in my sleeping pattern.
  - 1: I sleep a little more or a little less than usual.
  - 2: I sleep a lot more or a lot less than usual.
  - 3: I sleep most of the day OR I wake up 1-2 hours early and can't get back to sleep.

 
  17. Irritability
  - 0: I am no more irritable than usual.
  - 1: I am more irritable than usual.
  - 2: I am much more irritable than usual.
  - 3: I am irritable all the time.

 
  18. Changes in Appetite
  - 0: I have not experienced any change in my appetite.
  - 1: My appetite is somewhat less or somewhat greater than usual.
  - 2: My appetite is much less or much greater than usual.
  - 3: I have no appetite at all OR I crave food all the time.

 
  19. Concentration Difficulty
  - 0: I can concentrate as well as ever.
  - 1: I can't concentrate as well as usual.
  - 2: It's hard to keep my mind on anything for very long.
  - 3: I find I can't concentrate on anything at all.

 
  20. Tiredness or Fatigue
  - 0: I am no more tired or fatigued than usual.
  - 1: I get tired or fatigued more easily than impairment.
  - 2: I am too tired or fatigued to do a lot of the things I used to do.
  - 3: I am too tired or fatigued to do anything.

 
  21. Loss of Interest in Sex
  - 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.

Scoring and Clinical Evaluation Criteria

Add up the scores you noted down on your paper. Your total score will range between 0 and 63.

  - 0 - 9 Points: Minimal Depressive Symptoms  
    Your mental and emotional state appears to be within a healthy, stable range. Any temporary dips in your mood are a natural part of life's regular fluctuations.  

  - 10 - 16 Points: Mild Depressive Symptoms  
    You may be experiencing a mild drop in energy or a period of melancholy. Adjusting your daily routines and dedicating time to self-care usually supports recovery at this level.  

  - 17 - 29 Points: Moderate Depressive Symptoms  
    This is a clinically significant threshold. Your emotional struggles may be starting to wear down your day-to-day functionality and your relationships. Beginning psychotherapy with a clinical psychologist at this stage is a healthy step to break the cycle.  

  - 30 - 63 Points: Severe Depressive Symptoms  
    These symptoms point to a severe loss of functioning cognitively, emotionally, and physically. This is a medical and psychological journey you should not have to carry alone. It is strongly recommended to consult a psychiatrist and a clinical psychologist immediately to establish a comprehensive treatment plan.  

Important Legal Disclaimer

This inventory is a scientific scale shared solely for the purpose of personal insight and self-awareness. No test taken over the internet can provide a psychiatric diagnosis or medical assessment, nor can it replace a professional clinical evaluation. For an accurate psychological analysis and treatment process, please consult a qualified mental health professional (clinical psychologist or psychiatrist).