Normalization of the dexamethasone suppression test at discharge from hospital. Its prognostic value.

Fourteen patients with RDC diagnosis of primary, endogenous, major depressive disorder were studied in an inpatient setting. All were non-suppressors on the Dexamethasone Suppression Test on admission to hospital and were retested at discharge. Over 70% of patients continued to be non-suppressors at discharge, when in clinical remission. Four out of 14 patients converted to normal suppression. All 10 of the non-normalizers did poorly on follow-up: 3 patients committed suicide. All normalizers did well. Non-normalization of the DST at discharge from hospitalization may be more common than previously suspected and predicts poor clinical outcome.