Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) is one of the most popular and widely investigated instruments for assessing the severity of depressive symptomatology. The authors developed a Portuguese version of the inventory. This paper presents two studies: one with a college student sample (n = 547) and another with a community sample (n = 200). Reliability, factor structure, and validity data were obtained. The Portuguese version presents a good internal consistency, a factor structure very similar to the one obtained by Beck, Steer, and Brown (1996 ) with the original version, and presents an adequate convergent validity with the Center for Epidemiologic Studies of Depression Scale. Confirmatory factor analysis provides support for the fit of a two-factor model.

The present study examines whether self-criticism and depressive symptoms mediate the relationship between recollections of parental rejection and suicidality. A community sample of 200 Portuguese adults completed, in counterbalanced order, a socio-demographic questionnaire, the short form of the Inventory for Assessing Memories of Parental Rearing Behaviour (EMBU), the Depressive Experiences Questionnaire (DEQ), the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), and reports of any suicide intention and/or ideation and suicide attempts. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) indicated that recollections of parental rejection are significantly associated with depressive symptoms and suicidality. Recollections of parental rejection are indirectly associated with depressive symptoms and suicidality through self-criticism. The association between self-criticism and suicidality is mediated by depressive symptoms. In addition to a significant direct association between recollections of parental rejection and suicidality, the final model indicated that recollections of parental rejection are significantly associated with self-criticism. That same self-criticism is significantly associated with depressive symptoms which, in turn, are significantly associated with suicidality. Individuals with recollections of parental rejection are at greater risk for suicide ideation and behavior, possibly because such experiences predispose them to intense self-criticism which is a risk factor for depression associated with suicidal ideation and behavior.