Use of the Beck Depression Inventory-II with depressed geriatric inpatients

To provide information about the clinical utility of the Beck Depression In ventory-II (BDI-II) [Beck, A.T., Steer, R.A., & Brown, G.K. (1996b). Manual for the Beck Depression Inventory-II. San Antonio, TX: Psychological Corpo ration] with geriatric inpatients, the BDI-II was administered to 130 psych iatric inpatients who were 55 years old or above and who were diagnosed wit h principal DSM-IV major depressive disorders (MDD) (N = 85, 65%) or adjust ment disorders with depressed mood (N = 45, 35%). The internal consistency of the BDI-II was high (coefficient alpha = 0.90), and its total score was not significantly related to sex, age, or ethnicity. An iterated maximum-li kelihood factor analysis found the Cognitive and Noncognitive dimensions wh ich have been reported for the BDI-II by Steer and coworkers (Steer R.A., B all R., Ranieri W.F., st Beck A.T. (1999). Dimensions of the Beck Depressio n Inventory-II in clinically depressed outpatients. Journal of Psychopathol ogy and Behavioral Assessment, 55, 117-128) in a younger sample of clinical ly depressed psychiatric outpatients. The mean BDI-II total score of the 85 geriatric inpatients with MDD was also comparable to that of 42 younger (l ess than or equal to 54 years old) inpatients with MDD. The results were di scussed as supporting the use of the BDI-II with clinically depressed geria tric inpatients. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.