Beck Depression Inventory for depression screening in substance-abusing adolescents

Area of Science:

• Adolescent Psychiatry
• Clinical Psychology
• Substance Use Disorder Research

Background:

• Co-occurring major depressive disorder (MDD) in adolescents with substance use disorders (SUD) is associated with adverse treatment outcomes.
• Effective depression screening in adolescent SUD populations is crucial for timely intervention and improved care.
• The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) is a widely used depression assessment tool.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the diagnostic efficiency of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) in identifying major depressive disorder (MDD) among adolescents with SUD.
• To examine the factor structure, internal consistency, and discriminant validity of the BDI in this clinical sample.

Main Methods:

• A clinical sample of 145 adolescents with SUD was assessed.
• The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) was administered to screen for depression.
• Diagnostic Interview for Children and Adolescents (DICA) administered by psychiatrists served as the gold standard for MDD diagnosis.

Main Results:

• A BDI score of 12 or higher demonstrated optimal sensitivity (73%) for detecting MDD.
• A BDI score of 17 or higher showed optimal specificity (75%) in identifying non-MDD cases.
• The BDI exhibited a five-factor structure, explaining 56% of the variance, with high internal consistency and adequate discriminant validity.

Conclusions:

• The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) is a psychometrically sound tool for screening major depressive disorder (MDD) in adolescents with substance use disorders (SUD).
• The findings support the use of the BDI as a valuable screening instrument in this clinical population.
• Improved detection of MDD through BDI screening may lead to better treatment engagement and outcomes for adolescents with SUD.