The Beck Depression Inventory is a self-report instrument developed in conjunction with which therapy approach?

• A. Cognitive therapy
• B. REBT
• C. Gestalt therapy
• D. TA

Answer: (A)

The Beck Depression Inventory was created from the viewpoint of Beck’s cognitive theory of depression, which is the foundation of cognitive therapy. It focuses on the thoughts and beliefs that accompany depressive mood—pessimism, self-criticism, guilt, and hopelessness—along with related mood and physical symptoms. This alignment makes the inventory especially useful for measuring and tracking changes as cognitive therapy helps clients identify and modify these dysfunctional cognitions. It isn’t based on Gestalt or Transactional Analysis concepts, and while REBT also targets beliefs, the BDI’s development is specifically tied to Beck’s cognitive model rather than those approaches.