Beck Anxiety Inventory

Aron Beck, 1990

Introduction

Aaron Beck developed it in 1990, it is a self-report inventory with twenty-one items. The subject scores symptoms they have experienced over the last month, scoring each item 0-3. the scale takes about 07 minutes to apply. It applies to patients from age 17 years onwards.  


Reliability:

  • Internal consistency for the BAI = (Cronbach’s α=0.92)
  • Test-retest reliability (1 week) for the BAI = 0.75 (Beck, Epstein, Brown, & Steer, 1988).


Validity:

  • It moderately correlated with the revised Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (.51), and 
  • Mildly correlated with the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (.25) (Beck et al., 1988)


Interpretation

The maximum score one can have on the Beck anxiety inventory is sixty-three, for the most severe anxiety. We put the interpretation of scores under.

Score Interpretation Score Interpretation




0–9 normal to minimal anxiety 10–18 mild-to-moderate anxiety
19–29: moderate-to-severe anxiety 30–63: severe anxiety


Reference

Beck, A. T., Epstein, N., Brown, G., Steer, R. A. (1988). An inventory for measuring clinical anxiety: Psychometric properties. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 56, 893-897.

FAQ

  • What is the most widely criticised problem with Beck Anxiety Inventory?

    It focuses on the physical symptoms of anxiety, largely ignoring the psychological ones.

  • Should we avoid using it then?

    Researchers often pair it with the Penn State Worry Questionnaire, which provides a more accurate assessment of the psychological symptoms of anxiety commonly seen in generalized anxiety disorder.