Abstract
The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) is the most frequently used research measure for selecting samples of depressed college students, and a cutoff score of 10 is most often used. Although previous studies have examined the diagnostic characteristics of subjects selected in this manner, these studies have been limited to examination of depressive diagnostic features and have focused on samples selected on the basis of a less commonly used cutoff score of 16. This study extends previous research by assessing a broad range of diagnostic characteristics of depressed college students identified using single (1-point) and dual (2-point) administrations of the BDI. Sixty-three college students meeting the BDI criterion for at least mild depression participated in structured interviews based on DSM-III. Results showed a high degree of diagnostic heterogeneity for both methods, although the 2-point criterion increased homogeneity marginally. The BDI screenings occasionally resulted in the selection of individuals with substance abuse disorders, precluding the diagnosis of an affective disorder. A second group of selected individuals contained students with past histories of psychiatric disorders, but no clinical symptoms at present. It is suggested that researchers carefully control for heterogeneity of student samples by following 2-point screening sessions with a brief diagnostic interview.
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This research was conducted as part of the first author's M.S. thesis. We express our appreciation to the following without whose help this study could not have been conducted: Madeline Barnes, Allan F. Chino, Louis Damis, Michael Kippes, Christine Childers Michael, and Sue Slade.
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Deardorff, W.W., Funabiki, D. A diagnostic caution in screening for depressed college students. Cogn Ther Res 9, 277–284 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01183847
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01183847