Beck Depression Inventory

In our human relations class we are learning about Robert Bolton's and Dorothy Grover Bolton's theory of the four different people styles. It has been helpful, and interesting (yes, interesting.)
For this post, I wanted to examine a behavioral measurement inventory much different from the one we are learning in class. I stumbled upon the Beck Depression Inventory or the BDI.
Check out the link : www.apa.org

The purpose of this 21 self-report questionnaire is to rank the severity of depression in adolescents and adults.This is not a diagnostic tool, but rather an assessment of the level of depression a person may have. The depression severity ranges from minimal to severe depending on how high a person scores. I think the inventory would be helpful, especially for someone who was unaware of the way their feelings may correlate with depression.

This test has been researched to be reliable and valid. While trudging through the statistical data I found the normative sample didn't have as much variety as hoped. According to research, the population sample was from a group composed of 91% White, 4% African American, 4% Asian American, and 1% Hispanic (Aaron T. Beck, 2012). This sample is heavily composed of one ethnic group, and leads me to believe it may not be easy to use for those with language barriers in the country. (well duh, no fancy conclusion there.)

Overall, I am feeling overwhelmed with inventories...I have many questions surrounding the use of these tools. For instance, how does "being assessed" or "taking an inventory" psychologically interfere with the accuracy/results? Also, how can we avoid the inevitable labels/stereotypes that form while using the these inventories?

I have come to the conclusion inventories will never be able to give us a complete understanding of a person.There are too many environmental, psychological, and social interference's when it comes to analyzing people in this manner.  The truth is, humans are intricate beings, especially when we have emotional and social problems hovering over our heads. As a future professional, I will always look at behavioral inventories with a desire to gain deeper understanding at the same time reminding myself to take the information with a grain of salt.
The complexities of our human souls are immeasurable/non-tangible anyways...right? 

BDI - example of questions

P.S. 
This link has a list of the possible good and bad aspects of the Beck Depression Inventory. I found it useful while writing this blog: http://www.nctsnet.org/content/beck-depression-inventory-second-edition)

Bibliography :

Beck, A. T., Steer, R. A., & Brown, G. K. (2005). Beck Depression Inventory.

Institute, B. (2015). Beck Institute for Cognitive and Behavioral Therapy. Retrieved 2015, from http://www.beckinstitute.org/beck-inventory-and-scales/: http://www.beckinstitute.org/history-of-cbt/

Aaron T. Beck, R. A. (2012). Medical University Of South Carolina. Retrieved January 2015, from http://academicdepartments.musc.edu/: http://academicdepartments.musc.edu/family_medicine/rcmar/beck.htm

American Psychological Association. (2015). Retrieved January 22, 2015, from BDI: http://www.apa.org/pi/about/publications/caregivers/practice-settings/assessment/tools/beck-depression.aspx