Beck Depression Inventory-II
BDI-IIA 21-item self-report measure of depression severity over the past two weeks, aligned with DSM criteria; each item presents four statements of increasing severity (0-3).
Ready-to-cite methods sentence
Reliability & validation
Subscales
Known limitations
Licensed/proprietary (permission and purchase required from Pearson). A severity index, not a diagnosis; somatic items may inflate scores in medically ill populations.
Original citation
Beck, A. T., Steer, R. A., Brown, G. K. (1996). Manual for the Beck Depression Inventory-II. Psychological Corporation.
This instrument is licensed. Obtain permission from the copyright holder before using it in your study.
Questions researchers ask
What does the BDI-II measure?
A 21-item self-report measure of depression severity over the past two weeks, aligned with DSM criteria; each item presents four statements of increasing severity (0-3).
How many items does the BDI-II have?
The Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) has 21 items across 2 subscales: Cognitive, Somatic-Affective.
Is the BDI-II free to use?
The BDI-II is licensed. You must obtain permission from the copyright holder before using it in a study — Folio does not distribute its item wording without that permission.
Is the BDI-II reliable?
Validation studies report Cronbach's α of 0.92, test–retest reliability of 0.93. See the reliability section for the population studied and full statistics.
Who developed the BDI-II, and how do I cite it?
Beck, A. T., Steer, R. A., Brown, G. K. (1996). Manual for the Beck Depression Inventory-II. Psychological Corporation.
Use BDI-II in Folio Surveyor
Add it to a study with the full items, scoring, and analysis built in.
Related scales
Library entry verified July 2026. Metadata is provided for reference; item wording is available inside Folio Surveyor, subject to each instrument's licensing.