The use of the Beck Depression Inventory to screen for depression in the general population: a preliminary analysis.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of the present paper is to study the performance of Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI) as a screening instrument for depressive disorders in a general population sample.


METHODS
1250 subjects, from 18 to 64 years old, were randomly selected from the Santander (Spain) municipal census. A two-stage method was used: in the first stage, all individuals selected completed the BDI; in the second, 'probable cases' (BDI cut-off>/=13) and a random 5% sample of the total sample with a BDI score less than 13 were interviewed by psychiatrists using the Schedules for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry (SCAN), which generates diagnoses of depressive disorders.


RESULTS
Our data confirm the predictive value of the selected cut-off point (12/13): 100% sensitivity, 99% specificity, 0. 72 PPV, 1 NPV, and 98% overall diagnostic value. The area under ROC (AUC) was found to be 0.99. There were no statistical differences in terms of sex or age. We conclude that the BDI is a good instrument for screening depressive disorders in community surveys.
Lasa
L
L
Clinical and Social Psychiatry Research Unit, Marqués de Valdecilla University Hospital, University of Cantabria, Avda. Valdecilla s/n, Santander, Spain.
Ayuso-Mateos
J L
JL
Vázquez-Barquero
J L
JL
Díez-Manrique
F J
FJ
Dowrick
C F
CF
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires