The British Journal of Psychiatry 145: 88-90 (1984)
© 1984 The Royal College of Psychiatrists
Depression, weight loss and the dexamethasone suppression test
A Coppen, J Harwood and K Wood
The dexamethasone suppression test (DST) was carried out on 143 patients
with a major depressive disorder, who were classified into those with a
history of weight loss (n = 89) and those without (n = 54). Seventy-three
per cent of patients with weight loss and 61% of patients without had an
abnormal DST; this difference was not statistically significant. Of the
patients receiving prophylactic lithium therapy, 13 were found to have
changed their DST status on retesting after a period of 14 months, but
there was no significant difference in their weight. It is concluded that
weight loss is not a necessary condition for an abnormal DST in depressive
illness.