The Dexamethasone Suppression Test in Suicidal Patients With Unipolar Depression

Of 49 newly hospitalized patients who met Research Diagnostic Criteria for primary unipolar depression & were given the dexamethasone suppression test (DST), significantly more patients admitted for attempted suicide attempts than nonsuicidal patients had abnormal DSTs. All 5 patients who made subseuent attempts (1 completed) within 6 months after admission had had abnormal DSTs. These findings suggest that depressed suicidal patients with abnormal DSTs represent a high-risk group.