It is virtually undisputed that there is a connection between depression and cortisol. The authors attempt to confirm Dorovini-Zis and Zis’conclusion that adrenal weight in violent suicide victims is higher than others who die suddenly. The authors use a much larger sample than the previous study, and find no difference in adrenal weight. They conclude that the hypercortisolism associated with depression and suicide is a functional, rather than a structural change. (10 refs.) (VM)