Beck’s test – a test for depression. How to solve Beck’s test?

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Depression is the fourth largest health problem in modern societies. The Beck test is a quick way to check for yourself if you are depressed. Is the feel-good test reliable? What can it say about our health?

Depression – a civilization disease of the XNUMXst century

When talking about depressed mood, we often use the terms “I feel depressed” or “I am depressed”. This colloquial use does not correspond to the real problem of depression, which, according to WHO studies, affects as much as 10 percent of the population. Depression is difficult to recognize at first. It is slightly different for each patient and may be underestimated.

The line between depression and low mood is ambiguousTherefore, if you suspect a disease in yourself or a loved one, it is worth consulting a psychiatrist, possibly a psychologist, or solve the Beck test at home.

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Mild, Severe or Moderate Depression?

Depression doesn’t just mean long-term sadness. A depressed person cannot enjoy both small and big events, loses interest in people and the environment, the level of their self-esteem drops, has problems with sleep, concentration, loses weight, looks pessimistic at the future, is accompanied by an unjustified sense of guilt and has thoughts of suicide.

Due to specific symptoms, causes, and other circumstances, there are several types of depression. It can be caused, among others, by hormonal changes in the body (e.g. postpartum depression) or a consequence of other diseases (e.g. post-schizophrenic depression).

In addition, its course may vary in severity, therefore it is distinguished by mild, severe and moderate depression. Light is mild, only some of the symptoms are present. Moderate depression has moderate severity of symptoms, deterioration of professional and private relationships is clearly noticeable. In severe depression, the severity of symptoms is very high, fears, thoughts and suicide attempts appearin addition, psychotic symptoms may occur – including delusions, guilt, punishment, motor inhibition.

Aaron Beck’s well-being test – history

The well-being test was developed in 1961 by the American psychiatrist of origin Aaron T. Beck. Beck, after graduating from Yale University in medicine, became interested in psychoanalysis during his internship at the hospital. He was tutored by Erik Erikson.

In 1953, Aaron Beck graduated in psychiatry and soon became a lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania. Beck in his practice switched from psychoanalysis to cognitive behavioral therapy only in 1960. Beck’s original test was published in 1961. Since then, it has been modified and supplemented several times. The development of the test was a significant achievement in the field of psychology and psychiatry, changing the way doctors used to think about depression.

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Beck’s test – how to solve the test

The Beck Test, or Beck Depression Scale, is a diagnostic method developed by Aaron Beck in 1961. It is the most frequently used questionnaire during the first contact with a person suspected of being depressed. The Beck Depression Scale consists of 21 questions. You can choose one of four answers for each question. Each is assigned a value of 0 to 3 points.

When answering, one should take into account the recent past, e.g. the past quarter, month or week. The questions concern attitudes towards oneself and others, life satisfaction, recent events and emotions, commitment, pleasure and joy. The well-being test should be taken without rush, with due consideration of each question.

After passing the test, you should add up your points and see what the results mean. Depending on the number of points obtained, you can find out if you are suffering from depression and if it is so likely, what is the severity of its symptoms.

Depression test – Beck’s test

A.

0 – I’m not sad or depressed.

1 – I often feel sad and depressed.

2 – I experience sadness and depression constantly and I cannot free myself from these experiences.

3 – I am constantly so sad and unhappy that it is unbearable.

B.

0 – I don’t care too much about the future.

1 – I am often worried about the future.

2 – I’m afraid that nothing good awaits me in the future.

3 – I feel that the future is hopeless and nothing will change that.

C.

0 – I do not think I am committing any major negligence.

1 – I think I neglect more than others.

2 – when I look at what I was doing I see a lot of mistakes and omissions.

3 – I am completely ineffective and I am doing everything wrong.

D.

0 – I enjoy what I do.

1 – I’m not happy with what I’m doing.

2 – Nothing gives me real satisfaction now.

3 – I can not experience satisfaction and pleasure and everything tires me.

E.

0 – I do not feel guilty towards myself or towards others.

1 – I feel guilty quite often.

2 – I often feel at fault.

3 – I feel guilty constantly.

F.

0 – I don’t think I deserve the punishment.

1 – I think I deserve the punishment.

2 – I expect punishment.

3 – I know that I am being punished (or punished).

G.

0 – I am pleased with myself.

1 – I’m not satisfied with myself.

2 – I feel aversion to myself.

3 – I hate myself.

H.

0 – I don’t feel inferior to others.

1 – I accuse myself of being inept and making mistakes.

2 – I constantly condemn myself for the mistakes made.

3 – I blame myself for all the evil that exists.

I.

0 – I don’t think about taking my own life.

1 – I am thinking about suicide, but I couldn’t do it.

2 – I want to take my own life.

3 – I will commit suicide when there is a suitable opportunity.

J.

0 – I don’t cry more than usual.

1 – I cry more than I used to.

2 – I still feel like crying.

3 – I would like to cry, but I am not able to.

K.

0 – I’m not more nervous than before.

1 – I’m more nervous and annoying than before.

2 – I am constantly nervous and irritable.

3 – everything that used to irritate me has become indifferent.

L.

0 – people interest me as before.

1 – he is less interested in people than before.

2 – I have lost most of my interest in other people.

3 – I have lost all interest in other people.

M.

0 – making decisions is as easy for me as before.

1 – I put off making a decision more often than I used to.

2 – I have a lot of difficulty making a decision.

3 – I am not able to make any decisions.

N.

0 – I don’t think I look worse than I used to.

1 – I am worried because I look old and unattractive.

2 – I feel that I look worse and worse.

3 – I am convinced that I look terrible and repulsive.

O.

0 – I can work as before.

1 – I struggle to start each activity.

2 – with great effort I force myself to do anything.

3 – I am unable to do anything.

P.

0 – I sleep well as usual.

1 – I sleep worse than before.

2 – in the morning I wake up 1-2 hours too early and find it difficult to fall asleep again.

3 – I wake up a few hours too early and cannot go to sleep.

Q.

0 – I don’t get tired any more than before.

1 – I get tired much easier than before.

2 – I get tired of everything I do.

3 – I’m too tired to do anything.

R.

0 – my appetite is no worse than it used to be.

1 – I have a slightly worse appetite.

2 – my appetite is clearly worse.

3 – I have no appetite at all.

S.

0 – I am not losing weight (during the last month).

1 – I have lost more than 2 kg in weight.

2 – I have lost more than 4 kg in weight.

3 – I have lost more than 6 kg in weight. (if you are dieting on purpose, it doesn’t count)

T.

0 – I’m not worried about my health more than ever.

1 – I am worried about my ailments, stomach upset, constipation, pain.

2 – my health condition worries me a lot, I think about it often.

3 – I am so worried about my health that I can’t think of anything else.

U.

0 – my sexual interests have not changed.

1 – I am less interested in gender (sex) matters.

2 – sex problems clearly interest me.

3 – I have lost all sexual interest.

Now add up the numbers according to the answers we chose, and then check the range in which the result we obtained falls.

Beck’s test – how to read the results?

You can get from 0 to 63 points in the test. Depending on their number, the level of intensity of depression symptoms is determined:

1. 0 to 11 points – no depression,
2. 12 to 19 points – slight depression,
3. 20 to 25 points – moderate depression,
4. 26 and more – severe depression.

The results don’t necessarily mean you have depression. Only the interpretation of Beck’s test and an interview with the patient conducted by a specialist will determine the actual state of mental health. A psychiatrist will help determine the path of therapy.

Treating depression is a long-term process. It requires pharmacological treatment, which lasts for about 2 years, depending on the case. Modern antidepressants are not addictive, do not change personality, and have few side effects. Unfortunately, the first effects of their action can be noticed only after at least 6 weeks.

Sometimes treatment with antidepressants must be supplemented with individual or group psychotherapy. Beck’s test only gives an initial picture of the situation and is not a substitute for a visit to a psychiatrist. If your score is high after taking the test, it is imperative that you consult your doctor.

See also: A new theory on the underlying cause of depression

Depression test – the impact on the world of medicine

The development of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) was an important development in psychiatry and psychology. This meant changing the views of healthcare professionals on depression from Freud’s psychodynamic point of view to being guided by the patient’s point of view and his own thoughts. It also established the principle that, rather than trying to develop a psychometric tool on the basis of a possibly incorrect theory, self-report questionnaires analyzed using techniques such as factor analysis might suggest theoretical constructs.

Depressive states can be caused by a deficiency of vitamin B12 in the body, so it is worth taking it in the form of a dietary supplement in tablets. It is available on Medonet Market at an attractive price.

The Beck Depression Scale was originally developed to quantify the intensity of depression. Because it is designed to reflect the depth of depression, it can monitor changes over time and provide an objective measure of improvement and the effectiveness of treatments. This instrument is widely used in research and, for example, in 1998 it was used in over 2000 empirical studies. In addition to this, it is worth mentioning that the Beck Depression Test has been translated into many European languages ​​as well as Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Persian and Khosa.

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Depression test – problems with Beck’s test

The Beck Depression Scale has the same problems as other psychological tests because the results can be easily exaggerated or minimized by the person completing them. Like all questionnaires, the way the form (test) is presented can have an impact on the final result. For example, if a patient is asked to complete a form in front of others in the clinical setting, it is found that social expectations elicit a different response than giving it through a postal survey.

For participants who have additional physical illness, the Beck Depression Test’s dependence on physical symptoms such as fatigue may artificially inflate the results because of the symptoms of the disease, not the depression itself. To deal with this problem, Beck and his colleagues developed another version of the scale (BDI-PC “Beck Depression Inventory for Primary Care”), which consisted of seven items from the original version that were considered independent of physical function. Unlike the standard Beck Depression Rating Scale (BDI), the BDI-PC only gives a binary score of “no depression” or “depressed” in patients above the cut-off score of 4.

Although the BDI is designed as a screening tool rather than a diagnostic tool, it is sometimes used by doctors to obtain a prompt diagnosis.

It is also worth mentioning that there is no evidence that the BDI is more valid or reliable than other depression scales or public domain scales such as The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), which have been tested for suitability.