Beck Anxiety Inventory – BAI
A 21-item self-report inventory used for measuring the severity of clinical anxiety.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Beck Anxiety Inventory – BAI was developed by Aaron T. Beck, Norman Epstein, Gary Brown, Robert A. Steer (1988). It is designed to measure Anxiety. The scale is intended for use with Adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 21 items organized into 2 factors/subscales: Somatic, Subjective.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Somatic | 1,2,3,6,7,8,11,12,13,15,18,19,20,21 | 14 |
| Subjective | 4,5,9,10,14,16,17 | 7 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 0 = Not at all, 1 = Mildly; but it didn't bother me much, 2 = Moderately; it wasn't pleasant at times, 3 = Severely; it bothered me a lot.
Scoring
Items are summed to produce a total score.
Total scores range from 0 to 63. Interpretation guidelines:
- Minimal anxiety: 0 – 7
- Mild anxiety: 8 – 15
- Moderate anxiety: 16 – 25
- Severe anxiety: 26 – 63
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of 0.92.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 5 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.