Outcome MeasureDepression

BDI-II

Beck Depression Inventory-II

24 Papers in Blossom

About This Instrument

The Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) is a 21-item self-report questionnaire developed by Aaron T. Beck to measure the severity of depressive symptoms in adults and adolescents aged 13 and older. Each item is rated on a 4-point scale (0–3), with total scores ranging from 0 to 63. The BDI-II was revised in 1996 to align with DSM-IV criteria for major depressive disorder and covers symptoms such as sadness, pessimism, loss of pleasure, guilt, agitation, concentration difficulties, and suicidal thoughts. It is one of the most widely used instruments in clinical trials for depression, including psychedelic-assisted therapy research. The BDI-II has strong psychometric properties, with high internal consistency (Cronbach’s α typically > 0.90) and good test–retest reliability. It is sensitive to treatment-related change and is frequently used as both a primary and secondary endpoint in clinical studies.

Clinical Thresholds

063
Minimal
Score 0–13
Mild
Score 14–19
Moderate
Score 20–28
Severe
Score 29–63

Outcome Data Across Studies

Reported results for BDI-II across 4 studies with quantitative data.

Outcome data across 11 study arm–timepoint observations
SD
3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine-assisted psychotherapy for treatment of chronic posttraumatic stress dis - order: a randomized phase 2 controlled trial
2018Secondary
MDMA 40 mg(active_comparator)0623.86.2—
3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine-assisted psychotherapy for treatment of chronic posttraumatic stress dis - order: a randomized phase 2 controlled trial
2018Secondary
MDMA 40 mg(active_comparator)28612.36.3—
3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine-assisted psychotherapy for treatment of chronic posttraumatic stress dis - order: a randomized phase 2 controlled trial
2018Secondary
MDMA 40 mg(active_comparator)286-11.5Δ7.8—
3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine-assisted psychotherapy for treatment of chronic posttraumatic stress dis - order: a randomized phase 2 controlled trial
2018Secondary
MDMA 40 mg(active_comparator)6056.86.2—
3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine-assisted psychotherapy for treatment of chronic posttraumatic stress dis - order: a randomized phase 2 controlled trial
2018Secondary
MDMA 40 mg(active_comparator)365237.38.5—
3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-assisted psychotherapy for post-traumatic stress disorder in military veterans, firefighters, and police officers: a randomised, double-blind, dose-response, phase 2 clinical trial
2018Secondary
Full dose(experimental)0338.7——
3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-assisted psychotherapy for post-traumatic stress disorder in military veterans, firefighters, and police officers: a randomised, double-blind, dose-response, phase 2 clinical trial
2018Secondary
Full dose(experimental)6039.3——
Long-term Follow-Up Outcomes of MDMA-assisted Psychotherapy for Treatment of PTSD: A Longitudinal Pooled Analysis of Six Phase 2 Trials
2020Secondary
Active placebo (25 mg)(active)111112.01.0—
Long-term Follow-Up Outcomes of MDMA-assisted Psychotherapy for Treatment of PTSD: A Longitudinal Pooled Analysis of Six Phase 2 Trials
2020Secondary
Full dose (125 mg)(experimental)01212.0——
A Bayesian Reanalysis of a Trial of Psilocybin versus Escitalopram for Depression
2023Secondary
Psilocybin + placebo(experimental)42—7.0Δ——

Papers Using BDI-II

Open Accessindividual

Efficacy and Safety of Psilocybin in Treatment-Resistant Major Depression: The EPISODE Randomized Clinical Trial

In this triple‑blind, active placebo‑controlled randomised trial (n=144) of adults with treatment‑resistant depression, two 25 mg doses of psilocybin plus adjunct psychotherapy produced clinically meaningful reductions in depressive symptoms on exploratory secondary measures but did not significantly improve the pre‑second‑dose HAMD17 response rate versus nicotinamide.

Published
Journal
JAMA Psychiatry
Authors
Mertens, L. J., Koslowski, M., Betzler, F., Brand, M., Evens, R., Kärtner, L., Jungaberle, A., Jungaberle, H., Majić, T., Schmitz, C. N., Ströhle, A., Scharf, D., Spangemacher, M., Wolff, M., Assadi, Z., Bahri, S., Becher, L., Färber, L. V., Kirchen, N., Kulakova, E., Kunz, L., Meijer, A., Rohrmoser, B., Wellek, S., Berger, M. M., Gründer, G.
Open Accessindividual

Pilot study of psilocybin in patients with post-treatment lyme disease

In an open‑label, single‑arm pilot study of 20 patients with post‑treatment Lyme disease, two psilocybin sessions with psychological support produced significant, sustained reductions in symptom burden (40% decrease in GSQ‑30 at six months) and improvements in both physical and mental quality of life. The intervention was feasible and well-tolerated with no serious related adverse events, supporting further controlled trials of psilocybin‑assisted therapy for PTLD.

Published
Journal
Scientific Reports
Authors
Garcia-Romeu, A., Naudé, G. P., Rebman, A. W., So, S., Yaffe, A., Geithner, I., Kozero, E. A., Yang, T., Soloski, M. J., Aucott, J. N.
Open Accessindividual

Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for depression and anxiety associated with life threatening illness: A phase 2b randomized controlled trial

This double-blind placebo-controlled trial (n=35) found that psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy (25mg) significantly reduced depression and anxiety symptoms in adults with life-threatening illnesses compared to an active placebo (100mg niacin), with benefits sustained at 26 weeks and improvements in spiritual well-being, quality of life, demoralisation, and death anxiety.

Published
Journal
General Hospital Psychiatry
Authors
Ross, M. L., Iyer, R., Williams, M. L., Boughey, M., O'callaghan, C., Hiscock, R., Dwyer, J.
Paywallindividual

The effects of psilocybin therapy versus escitalopram on cognitive bias: A secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial

This secondary analysis of an RCT comparing psilocybin therapy to escitalopram in MDD patients (n=59) found that psilocybin produced superior improvements in cognitive biases. Psilocybin significantly increased self-reported optimism (d=1.1) and optimistic beliefs about desirable life events (d=1.1), while improving all three domains of dysfunctional attitudes (achievement, dependency, and self-control). Escitalopram showed more modest effects, reducing pessimism about negative events and improving only the achievement domain of dysfunctional attitudes.

Published
Journal
European Neuropsychopharmacology
Authors
Henry, J., Giribaldi, B., Nutt, D. J., Erritzoe, D., Carhart-Harris, R., Lyons, T.
Paywallindividual

Psilocybin in alcohol use disorder and comorbid depressive symptoms: Results from a feasibility randomized clinical trial

In this double‑blind, randomised pilot trial of recently detoxified patients with severe alcohol use disorder and comorbid depression, two 25 mg psilocybin‑assisted psychotherapy sessions (versus 1 mg control) were feasible, acceptable and safe. At 12 weeks the 25 mg group showed higher abstinence (55% vs 11%) and significant reductions in percent drinking days and craving frequency, although blinding was imperfect and the study was small and preliminary.

Published
Journal
Addiction
Authors
Luquiens, A., Belahda, D., Graux, C., Igounenc, N., Serrand, C., Rochefort, P., Mura, T., Sergent, F.
Open Accessindividual

Self-compassion mediates treatment effects in MDMA-assisted therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder

This secondary analysis (n=82) of a Phase III RCT of MDMA-assisted therapy found significant improvements in both uncompassionate self-responding and compassionate self-responding across all six Self-Compassion Scale subscales, most with large effect sizes. Changes in self-compassion fully mediated the reductions in PTSD severity and depressive symptoms observed with MDMA-AT versus placebo plus therapy, though no significant effects were seen for alcohol or substance use outcomes.

Published
Journal
European Journal of Psychotraumatology
Authors
Agin-Liebes, G. I., Zeifman, R. J., Mitchell, J.

Quick Facts

Full Name
Beck Depression Inventory-II
Domain
Depression
Papers Indexed
24
Score Range
0–63
Interpretation
Lower = better
Unit
points
Reference
Visit
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