A psychometric evaluation of the BDI-II in treatment-seeking substance abusers.
The Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) was administered to 416 consecutive male admissions to a 28-day residential chemical dependence treatment program as part of a routine intake procedure. Psychometric analyses revealed that the BDI-II scores were internally consistent in this treatment-seeking population based on coefficient alpha. The mean BDI-II score for patients in this study was higher than that noted for other clinical samples in previous studies. The use of the BDI-II for clinical decision making with chemically dependent individuals is discussed in light of this elevated distribution of scores. Confirmatory factor-analytic examinations of the instrument revealed that a three-factor model, with cognitive, affective, and somatic symptoms loading as separate factors, provided the most adequate account of the data. In total, the study supported the use of the BDI-II for the assessment of depression in chemically dependent male patients entering a residential treatment program at a VAMC facility, provided population-specific normative data is utilized for making clinical decisions.
Buckley
T C
TC
Boston Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Boston MA, USA. todd.buckley@med.va.gov
Parker
J D
JD
Heggie
J
J
D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*