Dexamethasone suppression test in psychiatrically hospitalized adolescents

The dexamethasone suppression test was done in 62 consecutive adolescent psychiatric inpatients diagnosed according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (III) criteria. 11 out of 14 who were diagnosed as having major depressions showed nonsuppression, a frequency significantly higher than that in controls (p<0.001). Among patients diagnosed as schizo-affectives, the frequency of nonsuppression was similar to that found in those with major depressions. Similarity of our results to those found in adults supports the concept that major depressive disorder is essentially the same illness whether it appears in childhood, adolescence or adulthood.