Differentiating DST suppressors from nonsuppressors: a discriminant function analysis of clinical symptoms

Ninety-seven patients who presented with depressive complaints were studied in an attempt to cross-validate a statistical model that uses items from the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD) to differentiate dexamethasone suppressors from nonsuppressors. Two split-sample discriminant function analyses (DFA) of data from this sample showed little agreement with either the original model or with each other. Accuracy of classification was acceptable for the derivation samples but was no better than chance for the validation samples. No single HRSD item was identified by all three DFAs as distinguishing between groups. The HRSD does not appear to be a reliable instrument for clinically distinguishing dexamethasone suppressors from nonsuppressors.