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Dexamethasone suppression test in depression: association with duration of illness
Author(s) -
Sashidharan S. P.,
Freeman C. P.,
Loudon J. B.,
Novosel S.,
Beckett G. J.,
Gray S.
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
acta psychiatrica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.849
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1600-0447
pISSN - 0001-690X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0447.1984.tb01220.x
Subject(s) - dexamethasone suppression test , depression (economics) , statistical significance , medicine , psychiatry , psychology , dexamethasone , economics , macroeconomics
– Plasma cortisol response to 1 mg dexameihasone suppression test was investigated in 37 patients with primary major depressive illness. Non‐suppression of plasma cortisol was found in 14 of 37 (38 %) patients. Duration of the index episode of illness was significantly shorter in the non‐suppressors (11.1 ± 9.1 weeks) than in the suppressors (29.7 ± 25.6 weeks). The two groups were not distinguished by age, sex, polarity or severity of depressive symptoms. Eighty per cent of the non‐suppressors (4/5) and 57 % of the suppressors (8/14) had severe life events or major difficulties in the 6 months preceding the onset of illness, but this difference failed to reach statistical significance.