Psychometric properties and correlates of the Beck Depression Inventory in a community-based and homeless or precariously housed sample

Abstract Background Although homeless or precariously housed populations have a high prevalence of depression, the suitability of existing symptom measurement tools remains unknown. The present study explores the psychometric properties and correlates of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) in a community-based sample. Methods 475 participants recruited from an impoverished neighbourhood in Canada completed the BDI, as well as multiple other clinical assessments. Validity, reliability, and change sensitivity were assessed, and a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was analysed to determine a threshold score for clinical depression. Relationships between BDI scores and psychiatric diagnoses, gender, age, and functional outcomes were studied. Results A wide range of BDI scores (0–58) was found among participants across psychiatric diagnoses. Convergent validity with psychopathology scores was present (r = 0.659, p  Limitations The generalizability to other vulnerable populations is uncertain. Conclusion The BDI exhibits sufficient validity and reliability for assessing depressive symptom severity in a community-based, homeless or precariously housed sample, and may aid assessing the severity of clinical depression. BDI scores may also signal functional impairment in older persons in these groups.