Which depression screener is commonly used with adults?

• A. Children's Depression Inventory
• B. SCL-90-R
• C. Beck Depression Inventory
• D. Beck Anxiety Inventory

Answer: (C)

Screening adults for depression relies on measures that specifically target depressive symptoms and provide a sense of severity. The Beck Depression Inventory fits this purpose well because it’s a self-report instrument designed to assess the presence and intensity of depressive symptoms in adults (and older adolescents) across cognitive, affective, and somatic domains. Its widespread use in clinical and research settings gives clinicians a reliable way to gauge how severe depression is and monitor change over time.

The other options don’t fit as cleanly for this role. The Children's Depression Inventory is intended for younger people, not adults. The SCL-90-R is a broad multidimensional symptom checklist that includes some depressive items but is not a depression-specific screener. The Beck Anxiety Inventory focuses on anxiety symptoms, not depressive symptoms.