The use of the bender visual motor gestalt test with depressed patients

Abstract

The literature was surveyed with the purpose of locating all reported signs of depression associated with the Bender-Gestalt. All Bender ® manuals and leading textbooks were then perused for additional signs, descriptions of these signs, and the dynamic correlates associated with these signs. Thirty Bender ® indices of depression were compiled from the literature review. Ten depressive categories were derived from the DSM-IV and other sources, and behavioral manifestations of each of these 10 categories were then outlined. A worksheet was developed consisting of the 10 categories, and the Bender ® and behavioral determinants of each of these categories. Finally, two scoring procedures were proposed using a configurational approach. These consisted of the presence of 5 of the 10 categories, represented by Bender ® or behavioral determinants. Each of these indicators received a weight of 2, making a total of 10 weighted points, a number believed to be indicative of depression. The second procedure comprises the presence of any 5 of the determined 30 Bender ® signs of depression. Again, each of these signs is given a weight of 2 totalling a weight of 10 as a cut-off point for depression. Subjects who attain a weighted score of 10 or higher by either of the two above methods of scoring will be considered depressed.