The Beck Anxiety Inventory is a short test that measures anxiety levels using a simple scale, developed by Dr. Aaron Beck. It can be used to measure anxiety levels over the past week or month and is sometimes used to diagnose PTSD, phobias, or obsessive-compulsive disorder. The test consists of 21 questions, each with four potential scaled answers. Results are scaled, with minimum points corresponding to lower levels of anxiety. Severe anxiety is diagnosed with scores of 26-63, moderate anxiety with scores of 16-25, and mild anxiety with scores of 8-15. Clinicians purchase copies of the copyrighted test from companies such as Pearson, but freely available copies are also used.
The Beck Anxiety Inventory® is a short test that a person can take on their own or administered by a mental health professional, which measures anxiety level using a simple scale. This test is the invention of Dr. Aaron Beck, known for his contributions to cognitive psychology and his development of several respected tests for different disorders. Specifically, the inventory or scale can be used to measure a person’s level of anxiety over the past week or month, and is also sometimes employed to diagnose PTSD, phobias, or obsessive-compulsive disorder- compulsive. Some doctors find it helpful when trying to distinguish between anxiety and depression symptoms, although people can have both at the same time, meaning the test wouldn’t be the only diagnostic tool used.
Simplicity and ease of use characterize Beck Anxiety Inventory®. The test is short: only 21 questions. Each question has four potential scaled answers, which are given successively higher scores from zero to three. An answer of three to any question indicates more anxiety. For example, if a person has been suffering from cold sweats continuously for the past week, he would answer three when asked, which could be defined as “it bothered me a lot” or “severely.” Symptoms expressed less often, might earn a two or one, and no symptoms would be scored zero.
After a client completes the Beck Anxiety Inventory® test, results are scaled, with minimum points corresponding to lower levels of anxiety. People with higher scores may have anxiety disorders or some of the other conditions listed above. While there are clearly defined groups of numbers corresponding to potential anxiety issues, there can be some gray areas in reading the scale, especially since individuals don’t always accurately report their symptoms. People taking the online versions of the test are also advised to seek mental health guidance instead of relying on self-interpretation, even if they don’t score exceptionally high.
For the sake of general knowledge, it may still be helpful to know how Beck Anxiety Inventory® scores are generally interpreted. Severe anxiety is usually diagnosed with scores of 26-63. Moderate anxiety is considered anything between scores of 16-25. People may have mild anxiety if they score 8-15 or no anxiety if they score between 0 and 7.
Currently, if clinicians want to use the Beck Anxiety Inventory®, they purchase copies of the copyrighted test from companies such as Pearson®, where it is available with additional materials that can aid in test interpretation. There are numerous copies of the test available on the Internet, but Pearson® technically owns the copyright. Some doctors will simply use these freely available copies because the scores are relatively easy to interpret, even though this may infringe copyright.
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