Examined the association of pituitary-adrenal dysfunction & suicide by matching 13 suicides (aged 19-64 yrs) on age, sex, diagnosis & type of DST (1 or 2 mg) with 25 attempters (SA) & 28 nonattempters (NA). Completers had significantly higher 1600 postdexamethasone cortisol levels than SAs & a significantly higher nonsuppression rate compared to SA & NA combined. Although nonsuppression rate did not differ between SA & NA, serious SAs had higher cortisol levels & a higher proportion of suicides.