Obsessive-compulsive disorder and major depressive disorder are
associated by several lines of evidence. To explore the possible
relationship between the two disorders, the authors administered 1-mg
dexamethasone suppression tests to 18 patients with obsessive- compulsive
disorder and 51 patients with major depressive disorder. None of the
obsessive-compulsive patients were classified as nonsuppressors on the
basis of a 4:00 p.m. serum cortisol level, whereas 37% of the depressed
patients were nonsuppressors. The mean cortisol levels of the two groups
differed significantly. Factors that may influence
hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal function, such as age, depressive symptoms,
and severity of illness, are discussed in light of these results.Abstract Teaser