Citation

Hill AB, Kemp-Wheeler SM, Jones SA. Pers. Individ. Dif. 1986; 7(1): 39-47.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1986, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/0191-8869(86)90106-6

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This study was carried out to investigate Gotlib's claim that the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) is more a measure of general psychopathology than a specific measure of depression when applied to psychiatrically normal students. Varimax factor analysis of the items of the BDI yielded seven factors for a sample of students (N = 160) and six factors for a sample of psychiatric patients (N = 65). A factor clearly interpretable as `somatic disturbance' emerged in both the patient and student samples. Reasonable comparability was found on two further factors interpreted as `feelings of hopelessness' and `feelings of unworthiness' in the student sample, and `depressed mood' and `depressive self-blame' in the patient sample. A factor labelled `lack of vital energy' found in the patient data appeared split among three factors in the student data. All BDI factors in the student sample correlated significantly with a measure of general psychopathology (N scale). Four factors correlated significantly with the number of recent negative life events for whose occurrence participants perceived responsibility. For all four factors the component of factor scores orthogonal to neuroticism was significantly correlated with the life-event measure. It is concluded the BDI has a factor structure in students which is reasonably comparable, though not identical, to that in depressed patients. It is also concluded that although BDI factors do, to some extent, measure general psychopathology they also measure specific aspects of depression independent of general psychopathology.