Validity of the Beck Depression Inventory, MMPI, and Rorschach in assessing adolescent depression

The purpose of the present study was to assess the validity of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the MMPI Depression scale (MMPI-D), and the Rorschach Depression Index (DEPI) in measuring adolescent depression. Retroactive charts of 118 hospitalized adolescents were divided into depressed (n=66) and nondepressed (n=52) groups, based on the psychiatric diagnosis. Results indicated significant differences between the means of the two groups on the BDI (p<0.00001) and the MMPI-D scale (p<0.0001), establishing concurrent validity for these measures of depression. Correlation coefficients among the three measures of depression indicated a significant relationship between the BDI and the MMPI-D scale (p<0.01), again supporting the concurrent validity of these instruments. Predictive utility was determined for each of the three instruments individually and in combination, with results indicating that the BDI and MMPI-D scales alone and in combination significantly discriminated depressed from nondepressed adolescents. The MMPI-D scale alone was the most accurate measure in classifying the participants into their respective groups. The DEPI was not established as a valid predictor of adolescent depression.