Seventy-nine adolescent mothers (mean age = 18.1 years) were administered t
he Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and three validity scales (L, F, and K)
of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory 2 (MMPI-2). The aim was
to determine whether low-BDI mothers were "faking good," or denying their d
epression. The adolescent mothers were assigned to a low-BDI group (scores
= 0, 1, 2), a nondepressed group (scores = 3-9), or a depressed group (scor
es greater than or equal to 13). The depressed group had higher F (Symptom)
scale scores than did the nondepressed group, which in turn had higher sco
res than did the low-BDI group. The low-BDI group, in contrast, had more fa
ke-good profiles than did the two other groups. Discriminant analyses indic
ated that 90% of the fake-good profiles could be classified correctly based
on BDI and K (Defensiveness) scale scores. These data suggest the need for
further assessment when individuals have extremely low BDI scores.