The dexamethasone suppression test in suicidal patients with unipolar depression

• DOI: 10.1176/ajp.140.7.877
• Publication Date: 2014-12-17T19:13:20Z
• Authors: Steven D. Targum; Rosen L; Capodanno Ae
• Keywords: Adult; Male; Depressive Disorder; Hydrocortisone; Suicide, Attempted; Dexamethasone; 3. Good health; Hospitalization; 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine; Humans; Female

Of 49 newly hospitalized patients who met Research Diagnostic Criteria for primary unipolar depression and were given the dexamethasone suppression test (DST), significantly more patients admitted for suicide attempts than nonsuicidal patients had abnormal DSTs. All five patients who made subsequent suicide attempts (one completed) within 6 months after admission had had abnormal DSTs. These findings suggest that the tendency of endogenously depressed patients to attempt suicide is exacerbated by an underlying neurobiological disorder reflected by limbic-hypothalamic dysregulation and that depressed suicidal patients with abnormal DSTs represent a high-risk group for recurrence of suicidal behavior.