title: Unbiased criteria for severity of depression in alcoholic inpatients.
abstract: The internal consistency of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) is assessed in 106 inpatient alcoholics by using a latent trait model. The analysis confirms that the BDI measures a single underlying dimension of depressive severity among alcoholics. Seven symptoms discriminate well for severity of depression. These seven--work inhibition, guilt, self-disgust, irritability, indecision, dissatisfaction, and loss of social interest--may represent criteria for depressive severity that are not confounded by chronic drinking, physical withdrawal, unique personality organization, or life circumstances of alcoholics. Three of the symptoms--dissatisfaction, loss of social interest, indecision--may represent core criteria for depressive severity by virtue of their previously demonstrated ability to discriminate well for severity of depression among both psychiatric and medical inpatients.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D010555:Personality Inventory; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011594:Psychometrics