The Beck Depression Inventory is the most popular self-rating scale for depression. 

It has been used in numerous research studies as a measure to determine the need and the effectiveness of treatment.

Write down the number of the answer that best describes how you have been feeling the past few days..."

1.      0       I do not feel sad.
        1       I feel sad.
        2       I am sad all the time and can't snap out of it.
        3       I am so sad or unhappy that I can't stand it.
 2.      0       I am not particularly discouraged about the future.
        1       I feel discouraged about the future.
        2       I feel I have nothing to look forward to.
        3       I feel that the future is hopeless and
                that things cannot improve.
 3.      0       I do not feel like a failure.
        1       I feel I have failed more than the average person.
        2       As I look back on my life, all I can see is a
                lot of failures.
        3       I feel I am a complete failure as a person.
 4.      0       I get as much satisfaction out of things as I used to.
        1       I don't enjoy things the way I used to.
        2       I don't get real satisfaction out of anything anymore.
        3       I am dissatisfied or bored with everything.
 5.      0       I don't feel particularly guilty.
        1       I feel guilty a good part of the time.
        2       I feel quite guilty most of the time.
        3       I feel guilty all of the time.
 6.      0       I don't feel I am being punished.
        1       I feel I may be punished.
        2       I expect to be punished.
        3       I feel I am being punished.
 7.      0       I don't feel disappointed in myself.
        1       I am disappointed in myself.
        2       I am disgusted with myself.
        3       I hate myself.
 8.      0       I don't feel I am worse than anybody else.
        1       I am critical of myself for my weaknesses or mistakes.
        2       I blame myself all the time for my faults.
        3       I blame myself for everything bad that happens.
 9.      0       I don't have any thoughts of killing myself.
        1       I have thoughts of killing myself, but I would not
                carry them out.
        2       I would like to kill myself.
        3       I would kill myself if I had the chance.
 10.     0       I don't cry any more than usual.
        1       I cry more now than I used to.
        2       I cry all the time now.
        3       I used to be able to cry, but now I can't even cry
                even though I want to.

11.     0       I am no more irritated by things than I ever am.
        1       I am slightly more irritated now than usual.
        2       I am quite annoyed or irritated a good deal of the time.
        3       I feel irritated all the time now.

12.     0       I have not lost interest in other people.
        1       I am less interested in other people than I used to be.
        2       I have lost most of my interest in other people.
        3       I have lost all of my interest in other people.
 13.     0       I make decisions about as well as I ever could.
        1       I put off making decisions more than I used to.
        2       I have greater difficulty in making decisions than before.
        3       I can't make decisions at all anymore.
 14.     0       I don't feel that I look any worse than I used to.
        1       I am worried that I am looking old or unattractive.
        2       I feel that there are permanent changes in my appearance
                that make me look unattractive.
        3       I believe that I look ugly.
 15.     0       I can work about as well as before.
        1       It takes an extra effort to get started at doing something.
        2       I have to push myself very hard to do anything.
        3       I can't do any work at all.
 16.     0       I can sleep as well as usual.
        1       I don't sleep as well as I used to.
        2       I wake up 1-2 hours earlier than usual and
                find it hard to get back to sleep.
        3       I wake up several hours earlier than I used to and
                cannot get back to sleep.
 17.     0       I don't get tired more than usual.
        1       I get tired more easily than I used to.
        2       I get tired from doing almost anything.
        3       I am too tired to do anything.
 18.     0       My appetite is no worse than usual.
        1       My appetite is not as good as it used to be.
        2       My appetite is much worse now.
        3       I have no appetite at all anymore.
 19.     0       I haven't lost much weight, if any, lately.
        1       I have lost more than five pounds.
        2       I have lost more than ten pounds.
        3       I have lost more than fifteen pounds.
 20      0       I am no more worried about my health than usual.
        1       I am worried about physical problems such as aches or
                pains, or upset stomach, or constipation.
        2       I am very worried about physical problems and it's hard
                to think of much else.
        3       I am so worried about my physical problems that I
                cannot think about anything else.
 21.     0       I have not noticed any recent change in my
                interest in sex.
        1       I am less interested in sex than I used to be.
        2       I am much less interested in sex now.
        3       I have lost interest in sex completely.

1-10 These ups and downs are considered normal. 11-16 Mild mood disturbance. 17-20 Borderline clinical depression. 21-30 Moderate depression. 31-40 Severe depression. over 40 Extreme depression.