The authors analyzed dexamethasone suppression test (DST) results from
13 prospective studies on the use of the DST in children and adolescents
with psychiatric disorders. Sensitivity of the DST was significantly higher
among the children than among the adolescents with major depressive
disorder (69.6% and 47.1%, respectively), and specificity was significantly
lower (69.7% and 80.2%). Significantly more adolescents with major
depressive disorder than with other psychiatric diagnoses, especially
conduct disorder, were nonsuppressors. The authors discuss possible
explanations for the high DST sensitivity among the children and point out
the potential usefulness of the DST in differentiating major depressive
disorder from conduct disorder.Abstract Teaser