| Mood | I do not feel sad I feel blue or sad I am blue or sad all the time and I can't snap out of it I am so sad or unhappy that it is very painful I am so sad or unhappy that I can't stand it |
| Pessimism | I am not particularly pessimistic or discouraged about the future I feel discouraged about the future I feel I have nothing to look forward to I feel that I won't ever get over my troubles I feel that the future is hopeless and that things cannot improve |
| Sense of Failure | I do not feel like a failure I feel I have failed more than the average person I feel I have accomplished very little that is worthwhile or that means anything As I look back on my life all I can see is a lot of failures I feel I am a complete failure as a person (parent, husband, wife) |
| Lack of Satisfaction | I am not particularly dissatisfied I feel bored most of the time I don't enjoy things the way I used to I don't get satisfaction out of anything any more I am dissatisfied with everything |
| Guilty Feeling | I don't feel particularly guilty I feel bad or unworthy a good part of the time I feel quite guilty I feel bad or unworthy practically all the time now I feel as though I am very bad or worthless |
| Sense of Punishment | I don't feel I am being punished I have a feeling that something bad may happen to me I feel I am being punished or will be punished I feel I deserve to be punished I want to be punished |
| Self Hate | I don't feel disappointed in myself I am disappointed in myself I don't like myself I am disgusted with myself I hate myself |
| Self Accusations | I don't feel I am any worse than anybody else I am very critical of myself for weaknesses or mistake I blame myself for everything that goes wrong I feel I have many bad faults |
| Self-punitive Wishes | I don't have any thoughts of harming myself I have thoughts of harming myself but I would not carry them out I feel I would be better off dead I have definite plans about committing suicide I feel my family would be better off if I were dead I would kill myself if I could |
| Crying Spells | I don't cry any more than usual I cry more now than I used to I cry all the time now. I can't stop it I used to be able to cry but now I can't cry at all even though I want to |
| Irritability | I am no more irritated now than I ever am I get annoyed or irritated more easily than I used to I feel irritated all the time I don't get irritated at all at the things that used to irritate me |
| Social Withdrawal | I have not lost interest in other people I am less interested in other people now than I used to be I have lost most of my interest in other people and have little feeling for them I have lost all my interest in other people and don't care about them at all |
| Indecisiveness | I make decisions about as well as ever I am less sure of myself now and try to put off making decisions I can't make decisions any more without help I can't make any decisions at all any more |
| Body Image | I don't feel I look any worse than I used to I am worried that I am looking old or unattractive I feel that there are permanent changes in my appearance and they make me look unattractive I feel that I am ugly or repulsive looking |
| Work Inhibition | I can work about as well as before It takes extra effort to get started at doing something I don't work as well as I used to I have to push myself very hard to do anything I can't do any work at all |
| Sleep Disturbance | I can sleep as well as usual I wake up more tired in the morning than I used to I wake up 1-2 hours earlier than usual and find it hard to get back to sleep I wake up early every day and can't get more than 5 hours sleep |
| Fatigability | I don't get any more tired than usual I get tired more easily than I used to I get tired from doing anything I get too tired to do anything |
| Loss of Appetite | My appetite is no worse than usual My appetite is not as good as it used to be My appetite is much worse now I have no appetite at all any more |
| Weight Loss | I haven't lost much weight, if any, lately I have lost more than 5 pounds I have lost more than 10 pounds I have lost more than 15 pounds |
| Somatic Preoccupation | I am no more concerned about my health than usual I am concerned about aches and pains or upset stomach or constipation or other unpleasant feelings in my body I am so concerned with how I feel or what I feel that it's hard to think of much else I am completely absorbed in what I feel |
| Loss of Libido | I have not noticed any recent change in my interest in sex I am less interested in sex than I used to be I am much less interested in sex now I have lost interest in sex completely |
The author (Beck, et al) clinically developed 21 categories of symptoms and attitudes that dealt with specific behavioral manifestations of depression. Each of these 21 categories consists of a graded series of 4-5 self evaluative statements which each receives a score.
Note that several questions in this inventory have multiple answers that score the same number of points; the patient is to choose the best statement that reflects their current state.
The 21 categories are:
The Questionnaire:
Interpretation:
References:
Beck AT, Ward CH, Mendelson M, et al. An Inventory for Measuring Depression. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1961;4:53-63.