Outcome MeasureDepression

BDI-II

Beck Depression Inventory-II

52 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 32 studies with quantitative data.

Outcome data across 148 study arm–timepoint observations
SD
Pilot study of psilocybin treatment for anxiety in patients with advanced-stage cancer
2011Secondary
Psilocybin(experimental)-11216.13.6—
Pilot study of psilocybin treatment for anxiety in patients with advanced-stage cancer
2011Secondary
Psilocybin(experimental)141210.02.7—
Pilot study of psilocybin treatment for anxiety in patients with advanced-stage cancer
2011Secondary
Psilocybin(experimental)3012———
Pilot study of psilocybin treatment for anxiety in patients with advanced-stage cancer
2011Secondary
Psilocybin(experimental)18012———
Psilocybin with psychological support for treatment-resistant depression: an open-label feasibility study
2016Secondary
Psilocybin(experimental)01233.77.1—
Psilocybin with psychological support for treatment-resistant depression: an open-label feasibility study
2016Secondary
Psilocybin(experimental)7128.78.4—
Psilocybin with psychological support for treatment-resistant depression: an open-label feasibility study
2016Secondary
Psilocybin(experimental)901215.211.0—
Ketamine versus midazolam in bipolar depression with suicidal thoughts: A pilot midazolam-controlled randomized clinical trial
2017Secondary
Ketamine(experimental)0727.96.4—
Ketamine versus midazolam in bipolar depression with suicidal thoughts: A pilot midazolam-controlled randomized clinical trial
2017Secondary
Midazolam(active_comparator)0934.110.4—
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—

Papers Using BDI-II

Open Accessindividual

Long-Term Efficacy of Psilocybin with Adjunct Psychotherapy in Treatment-Resistant Major Depression (EPIsoDE): 6- and 12-Month Naturalistic Follow-Up of a Phase 2b Trial

This naturalistic follow-up of a Phase IIb randomised active placebo-controlled trial (n=144) found that one or two 25 mg doses of psilocybin with psychotherapy were linked to sustained reductions in depression symptoms in treatment-resistant major depression (TRD) at six and twelve months. Benefits were similar across groups, while restarting antidepressant medication during follow-up was associated with worse scores.

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

Epigenome-wide association study of psilocybin-induced methylome changes in alcohol use disorder

This longitudinal randomised study (n=37) in detoxified patients with alcohol use disorder examined DNA methylation changes after psilocybin 25 mg versus placebo and found one psilocybin-linked methylation site, plus broader changes related to depression and drinking measures. The changes involved genes and pathways linked to neuroplasticity and immune function.

Published
Journal
Translational Psychiatry
Authors
Urban, M. M., Zillich, L., Rieser, N. M., Herdener, M., Spanagel, R., Vollenweider, F. X., Preller, K. H., Meinhardt, M. W.
Open Accessindividual

Neuroplastic white matter changes in patients with major depression following lysergic acid diethylamide treatment

This randomised clinical trial (n=61) in people with major depressive disorder compared low-dose LSD (2 × 25 μg) with moderate-to-high-dose LSD (100 μg then 200 μg) and found that the higher-dose group showed white matter changes on brain scans linked with later improvements in depressive symptoms.

Published
Journal
Cell Reports
Authors
Avram, M., Menegaux, A., Müller, F., Zaczek, H., Korda, A., Rogg, H., Becker, A. M., Ley, L., Liechti, M. E., Borgwardt, S.
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.
Paywallindividual

MDMA-Assisted Therapy for Major Depressive Disorder: A Seven-Month Follow-Up Proof of Principle Trial

This long-term follow-up (n=12) of participants with moderate-to-severe major depressive disorder who received MDMA-assisted therapy (two dosing sessions integrated with nine psychotherapy sessions) found significant reductions in depression severity and functional impairment at seven months compared to baseline, with improvements maintained from the post-treatment assessment and no increases in suicidal ideation.

Published
Journal
Journal of Psychiatric Research
Authors
Kvam, T. M., Goksøyr, I. W., Rog, J., van de Vooren, I. T. J., Stewart, L. H., Autran, I., Berthold-Losleben, M., Mørch-Johnsen, L., Holst, R., Røssberg, J. I., Clausen, I., Andreassen, O. A.

Quick Facts

Full Name
Beck Depression Inventory-II
Domain
Depression
Papers Indexed
52
Score Range
0–63
Interpretation
Lower = better
Unit
points
Reference
Visit
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