What does BDI stand for?

• A. Beck Depression Inventory
• B. Beck depression index
• C. Beck Anxiety Inventory
• D. Beck Cognitive Scale

Answer: (B)

BDI stands for the Beck Depression Inventory, a self-report questionnaire used to measure how severe depressive symptoms are. The word “Inventory” signals a standardized list of symptoms that a person rates, rather than a single score. Respondents describe how they’ve been feeling over a recent period (typically the past two weeks) by rating each statement, and the items are summed to produce a total score that reflects overall depression severity. There are updated versions, like the BDI-II, which includes 21 items scored 0 to 3 for a possible total of 63. This tool is distinct from measures of anxiety, such as the Beck Anxiety Inventory, and from any term like “Cognitive Scale.” The established name uses “Inventory,” not “Index,” which is why the standard interpretation is the Beck Depression Inventory.