15656. THE BECK DEPRESSION INVENTORY (BDI): REVIEW AND EVALUATION OF A PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT TOOL. Following a brief overview of the clinical criteria used to diagnose depression and a discussion of the principle assessment techniques used to evaluate depressive disorders, this paper presents a critical review and evaluation of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), a 21-item self-report inventory designed to evaluate the level of depression in adolescents and adults. Argues that the BDI remains a useful and cost-effective tool for indicating potential depression in individuals; however, the BDI is unsuitable as a stand-alone method for diagnosing depression. KEYWORDS: psychological measurement bdi beck depression inventory term paper. APA Style. 16 pages, 23 footnotes, 14 bibliographic sources. 4,132 words.