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Evaluation of the psychometric properties of the Beck Depression Inventory in a non‐elderly adult sample of patients with generalized anxiety disorder
Author(s) -
Weeks Justin W.,
Heimberg Richard G.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
depression and anxiety
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.634
H-Index - 129
eISSN - 1520-6394
pISSN - 1091-4269
DOI - 10.1002/da.20068
Subject(s) - anxiety , generalized anxiety disorder , beck anxiety inventory , beck depression inventory , worry , psychology , clinical psychology , mood , depression (economics) , psychiatry , anxiety disorder , psychometrics , economics , macroeconomics
Although the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) is commonly administered across a wide range of psychological disorders, its psychometric properties have not yet been examined in a non‐elderly (aged 59 years or younger) adult sample of patients with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Completed BDIs were obtained from 48 patients with GAD (mean age=31.85 years) and 41 nonanxious control participants (mean age=30.49 years). The BDI exhibited good internal consistency in the clinical sample. Patients obtained more extreme scores on the BDI than did control participants, and patients with a comorbid mood disorder obtained more extreme scores on the BDI than did patients without a comorbid mood disorder. Patients' BDI scores correlated significantly more strongly with a clinician‐administered measure of depression than with self‐report measures of generalized anxiety, worry, social anxiety, or anxiety sensitivity, but not more strongly than with a clinician‐administered measure of anxiety. BDI scores correlated positively with self‐reported disability and negatively with life satisfaction. Overall, the BDI demonstrated good psychometric properties in this non‐elderly adult sample of patients with GAD. Depression and Anxiety 22:41–44, 2005 . © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.