Burns Depression Checklist (BDC) was developed by David D. Burns, an American Psychiatrist. It is a 25-item rating scale which asks an individual to rate their thoughts and feelings, activities and personal relationships, physical symptoms, and suicidal urges. For instance, you would be asked how much you have experienced “guilt or shame” during the past week with the options “not at all, somewhat, moderately, a lot, and extremely”.
The following are the 25 items in the BDC:
1. Feeling sad or down in the dumps
2. Feeling unhappy or blue
3. Crying spells or tearfulness
4. Feeling discouraged
5. Feeling hopeless
6. Low self-esteem
7. Feeling worthless or inadequate
8. Guilt or shame
9. Criticizing yourself or blaming others
10. Difficulty making decisions
11. Loss of interest in family, friends, or colleagues
12. Loneliness
13. Spending less time with family or friends
14. Loss of motivation
15. Loss of interest in work or other activities
16. Avoiding work or other activities
17. Loss of pleasure or satisfaction in life
18. Feeling tired
19. Difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much
20. Decreased or increased appetite
21. Loss of interest in sex
22. Worrying about your health
23. Do you have any suicidal thoughts
24. Would you like to end your life
25. Do you have a plan of harming yourself