[Measuring depression of prisoners]

Abstract

On the basis of a sample of 125 adult criminal offenders and 66 students, the use of the abriged BDI as a depression screening device for felons is explored. The investigation confirms the high consistency and item-total correlations of the BDI. The factorial validity is doubtful. Only the first factor may be reidentified in different samples. A high percentage of offenders had scores at or above 8 indicating moderate or severe depression. Since offenders and students do not differ in the depression scores, the validity of the cut-off scores (Beck & Beck, 1972) may be questioned. The abriged BDI does not correlate with criminal or arrest data (e.g. number of offences, sentence length and status of imprisonment), but with other self-report measures for the assessment of self-concept or anxiety. Discriminant validity in respect to related constructs (anxiety and self-concept) cannot be expected.