Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI)
By Leonard R. Derogatis, PhD
The following is a list of problems that people sometimes have. Please read each one
carefully, and choose the response that best describes how much that particular problem has
distressed or bothered you during the last seven days, including today. Choose only one
response per item, rating your feelings from ‘Not At All’ to ‘Extremely.’ Please do not skip any
items.
How much were you distressed by:
1. Nervousness or shakiness inside
Not At All
2. Faintness or dizziness
Not At All
3. The idea that someone else can control your thoughts
Not At All
4. Feeling others are to blame for most of your troubles
Not At All
5. Trouble remembering things
Not At All
6. Feeling easily annoyed or irritated
Not At All
7. Pains in heart or chest
Not At All
8. Feeling afraid in open spaces or on the streets
Not At All
9. Thoughts of ending your life
Not At All
10. Feeling that most people cannot be trusted
Not At All
11. Poor appetite
Not At All
12. Being suddenly scared for no reason
Not At All
13. Temper outbursts that you could not control
Not At All
5618 NW 43rd Street, Gainesville, FL 32653
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14. Feeling lonely even when you are with people
Not At All
15. Feeling blocked in getting things done
Not At All
16. Feeling lonely
Not At All
17. Feeling blue
Not At All
18. Feeling no interest in things
Not At All
19. Feeling fearful
Not At All
20. Your feelings being easily hurt
Not At All
21. Feeling that people are unfriendly or dislike you
Not At All
22. Feeling inferior to others
Not At All
23. Nausea or upset stomach
Not At All
24. Feeling that you are watched or talked about by others
Not At All
25. Trouble falling asleep
Not At All
26. Having to check and double-check what you do
Not At All
27. Difficulty making decisions
Not At All
28. Feeling afraid to travel on buses, subways, or trains
Not At All
29. Trouble getting your breath
Not At All
30. Hot or cold spells
Not At All
31. Avoiding certain things, places, or activities because
they frighten you
Not At All
32. Your mind going blank
Not At All
33. Numbness or tingling in parts of your body
Not At All
34. The idea that you should be punished for your sins
Not At All
35. Feeling hopeless about the future
Not At All
36. Trouble concentrating
Not At All
5618 NW 43rd Street, Gainesville, FL 32653
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37. Feeling weak in parts of your body
Not At All
38. Feeling tense or keyed up
Not At All
39. Thoughts of death or dying
Not At All
40. Having urges to beat, injure, or harm someone
Not At All
41. Having urges to break or smash things
Not At All
42. Feeling very self-conscious with others
Not At All
43. Feeling uneasy in crowds, such as shopping or at a movie
Not At All
44. Never feeling close to another person
Not At All
45. Spells of terror or panic
Not At All
46. Getting into frequent arguments
Not At All
47. Feeling nervous when you are left alone
Not At All
48. Others not giving you proper credit for your achievements
Not At All
49. Feeling so restless you couldn’t sit still
Not At All
50. Feelings of worthlessness
Not At All
51. Feeling that people will take advantage of you if you let them
Not At All
52. Feelings of guilt
Not At All
53. The idea that something is wrong with your mind
Not At All
5618 NW 43rd Street, Gainesville, FL 32653