Evaluation of the psychometric properties of the Beck Depression Inventory in a non-elderly adult sample of patients with generalized anxiety disorder

Abstract

Although the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) is commonly administered across a wide range of psychological disorders, its psychometric properties have not yet been examined in a non-elderly (aged 59 years or younger) adult sample of patients with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Completed BDIs were obtained from 48 patients with GAD (mean age=31.85 years) and 41 nonanxious control participants (mean age=30.49 years). The BDI exhibited good internal consistency in the clinical sample. Patients obtained more extreme scores on the BDI than did control participants, and patients with a comorbid mood disorder obtained more extreme scores on the BDI than did patients without a comorbid mood disorder. Patients' BDI scores correlated significantly more strongly with a clinician-administered measure of depression than with self-report measures of generalized anxiety, worry, social anxiety, or anxiety sensitivity, but not more strongly than with a clinician-administered measure of anxiety. BDI scores correlated positively with self-reported disability and negatively with life satisfaction. Overall, the BDI demonstrated good psychometric properties in this non-elderly adult sample of patients with GAD.