Depression Screening Instruments

Beck Depression Inventory
The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) is a standardized tool frequently used in screening for depressive symptoms in patients. The BDI consists of 21 questions regarding symptoms of depression and markers of distress. Question 9 inquires about suicide ideation. In the hepatitis C population, the BDI appears to provide good clinical data.

Each screening tool has its own scoring system. Each question is scored from 0 - 3, and a total is reached by summing the score for each question. The scores can range from 0 - 63. You should review the BDI Scoring and Treatment Recommendation Overview handout.

While the BDI and other questionnaires are important tools for identifying and monitoring depressive symptoms, they do not provide diagnostic information. Thus, it is important to form a clinical opinion using DSM-IV diagnostic criteria.

When using questionnaires, the clinician should always review responses to questions about suicide before the patient leaves the clinic. Question number 9 on the BDI concerns suicide, and should always be reviewed and discussed with the patient.