A narrative review of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and implications for its use in an alcohol-dependent population

Accessible summary The findings from the present study reveal that the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) is a reliable and valid instrument for measuring depression in a variety of populations. This realization should enable nurses and other health professionals to utilize the tool with added confidence and assurance. The main finding was that the BDI would probably be a reliable and valid screening tool in an alcohol-dependent population. This conclusion appears to echo the relationship that alcohol consumption generally has with depression. This finding is important to those practitioners using the BDI in this population in that it provides further evidence to enhance their practical experience. Abstract A psychometric evaluation of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) was carried out on contemporary studies to ascertain its suitability for use in an alcohol-dependent population. Three criteria were used for this: factor analysis, test-retest reliability and internal consistency reliability. Factor analysis revealed that its structure is consistent with either two or three factor models, depending on the population. Test-retest results concluded that the correlation coefficient remained above the recommended threshold and internal consistency reliability highlighted alpha coefficient results consistently above suggested scores, leading to the conclusion that the BDI is probably an effective screening tool in an alcohol-dependent population.