Psychometric Properties of the Beck Depression Inventory-II for OEF/OIF Veterans in a Polytrauma Sample

OBJECTIVE: The Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) is widely used as a screening instrument for depressive symptomatology in clinical settings. The factor structure has been researched in a variety of settings with results ranging from a single factor to a five-factor structure. The purpose of this study was to examine several identified factor structures when applied to a mixed polytrauma sample. METHOD: A sample of 310 veterans was used for this study. All subjects were administered the BDI-II screening measure as part of an evaluation in an outpatient polytrauma clinic. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to determine the best model. RESULTS: Confirmatory factor analysis revealed that a three-factor model provided a best fit. A model previously identified for individuals in residential treatment for substance abuse provided a best fit for this sample. CONCLUSIONS: The BDI-II may provide additional information for clinicians when examining the three-factor model with veterans in polytrauma settings.