Relationships between the underlying constructs of the Beck Depression Inventory and the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale

This study examines the relationships between the constructs of depression as measured by the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) and the revised Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) in a sample of 261 college students. The two scales were found to have a moderately high correlation and a similar pattern of relationships to measures of anxiety, hostility, self-esteem, hypochondriasis, and locus of control. However, the relations between the subscales and the factor structure of the subscales derived from both instruments suggest that the BDI and CES-D measure different aspects of depression despite sharing some symptoms. Therefore, the authors argue that the BDI and CES-D should not be used interchangeably. The results are discussed in terms of the applicability of the two measures of depression for use with nonclinical populations.