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Dexamethasone Suppression Test Testing of Depressed Alcoholics
Author(s) -
Dackis Charles A.,
Stuckey Robert F.,
Gold Mark S.,
Pottash A. L. C.
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
alcoholism: clinical and experimental research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.267
H-Index - 153
eISSN - 1530-0277
pISSN - 0145-6008
DOI - 10.1111/j.1530-0277.1986.tb05615.x
Subject(s) - dexamethasone suppression test , depression (economics) , psychology , dexamethasone , medicine , clinical psychology , psychiatry , economics , macroeconomics
In order to determine the sensitivity of the dexamethasone suppression test (DST) for major depression in alcoholics, we administered this test to 27 alcoholics with major depression. Sixteen of 27 had abnormal DST results, yielding a 59% sensitivity for depression in alcoholics. When combined with previously reported specificity findings of 100%, the DST significantly (p < 0.001) distinguished depressed from nondepressed alcoholics.