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Performance of the Dexamethasone Suppression Test in Depressive Illness According to ICD and DSM-III Classification Systems

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Sarah Watkins ,
Brian Harris ,
Nigel Cook ,
Roger Thomas  and
Diana Riad-Fahmy
Sarah Watkins
Affiliation:
Pen-y-fai Hospital, Bridgend
Brian Harris*
Affiliation:
University Hospital of Wales
Nigel Cook
Affiliation:
Tenovus Institute for Cancer Research, Cardiff
Roger Thomas
Affiliation:
Whitchurch Hospital, Cardiff
Diana Riad-Fahmy
Affiliation:
Tenovus Institute for Cancer Research
*
∗Department of Psychological Medicine, University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff
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Abstract

The performance of the dexamethasone suppression test was assessed in 90 consecutive admissions with a diagnosis of depression, categorised according to two classification systems (DSM-III and ICD-9). Non-suppression was found in most of the diagnostic categories, but there was a highly significant association with the DSM-III classification ‘major depressive episode with melancholia’ (52%) in comparison with the ICD group ‘manic-depressive illness-depressed’ (29%).

Type
Brief Reports
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 152 , Issue 4 , April 1988 , pp. 554 - 558
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1988 

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