Psychometric Properties of a Persian-Language Version of the Beck Depression Inventory - Second Edition (BDI-II-Persian)

The Beck Depression Inventory-Second Edition (BDI-II) is a revision of the Depression Questionnaire and a widely used self-report measure of depressive symptoms in clinical and non-clinical populations. The purpose of the present study was to investigate psychometric properties of the Persian version of the Beck Depression Inventory-Second Edition (BDI-II-Persian) among students of Shahid Chamran University and Ahvaz University of Medical Sciences (Gundeshapur). Using random multi-stage sampling method, 468 subjects were selected among the students of the mentioned universities in the educational year 1389-90 (2010-2011). They completed the Beck Depression Inventory-Second Edition. The data were analyzed using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis and SPSS-16 and AMOS-16 soft wares. The results of the factor analysis (using the principal components analysis) and Varimax rotation were indicative of the two factors: cognitive-affective and negative attitude-somatic symptoms. The reliability coefficients (Cronbach’s alpha) were satisfactory for all the extracted factors. The total score of BDI-II was significantly correlated with the two extracted factors. The confirmatory factor analysis also showed that the two-factor model, rather than the one-factor model, seems to provide a more satisfactory fit to the data in the present study. Finally, the study showed that BDI-II can use in research and educational settings, particularly, in assessing depression normal and abnormal groups.