What is the Beck Anxiety Inventory?

The Beck Anxiety Inventory is a 21-question assessment that measures the severity of anxiety in adults ages 17 to 80, as stated by Pearson Clinical. Either a person self-administers the test, or a professional administers it verbally.

Aaron Beck and colleagues developed the Beck Anxiety Inventory, first published in 1990 and again in 1993, notes Pearson Clinical. The purpose of the Beck Anxiety Inventory was specifically to measure anxiety symptoms that did not overlap with depression symptoms, states the University of Pennsylvania.At the time of the inventory's development, anxiety and depression assessments were measuring many of the same symptoms, making an accurate diagnosis difficult.