• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
• /
• v.18 no.3
• /
• pp.126-133
• /
• 2011

Objectives The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) is one of the most widely used self-report measures of depression in both research and clinical practice. The Beck Depression Inventory Second Edition (BDI-II) is the most recent version of the BDI. Validity of the BDI-II has been documented in other countries. This study examined the factor structure of the Korean version of BDI-II in a large sample of university students. Method Data were obtained from 2,529 students of Kongju National University. The factor structures of the Korean version of BDI-II were assessed using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Results A high level of internal consistency and reliability (Cronbach's ${\alpha}$ = 0.91) and item homogeneity was confirmed. Exploratory factor analysis showed a two-factor structure (cognitive and somatic-affective), which was almost identical to the original model demonstrated by Beck et al. The following confirmatory factor analysis also supported the two-factor structure (cognitive and somatic-affective) is a better fit than the other two-factor structure (cognitive-affective and somatic). The higher mean score for women compared to men is consistent with the results of previous reports. Conclusion These data support the reliability and concurrent validity of the Korean version of BDI-II as a measure of depressive symptoms in nonclinical samples.