Screening for major depression disorders in adolescent medical outpatients with the Beck Depression Inventory for Primary Care

Abstract

Purpose: To ascertain the psychometric characteristics of the Beck Depression Inventory for Primary Care (BDI-PC) among adolescents (12-17 years old) scheduled for health maintenance examinations, and to determine the effectiveness of the BDI-PC in screening the adolescents for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, major depression disorders (MDD).

Methods: The BDI-PC was administered to 50 male and 50 female adolescents who received pediatric health maintenance examinations. The diagnosis of MDD was established with the Mood Module from the Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders.

Results: The internal consistency of the BDI-PC was high (Cronbach alpha = .88), and it was not significantly associated with gender, ethnicity, age, or having a medical disorder. A cutoff score of > or = 4 had both 91% sensitivity and specificity rates for identifying adolescents with and without MDD.

Conclusions: The BDI-PC is a useful instrument for screening for clinical depression in adolescents receiving routine medical examinations.