[In unipolar depression does the response to the dexamethasone suppression test predict a symptomatic recurrence...

We assessed the length and the quality of the remission of 13 unipolar endogenous depressed DST nonsuppressors before treatment in a 2-year prospective study. During this period, we recorded stressful life events. Persistent dexamethasone non-suppression after treatment and complete clinical recovery correlated highly with early clinical relapse. All six nonnormalizers but only one normalizer were rehospitalized within the following two years for a major depressive relapse. Persistent DST nonsuppression was unrelated to any impact of drug discontinuation, to the occurrence of stressful life events or to the length of illness-free intervals in the patient's prior course of illness. Persistent DST non-suppression appears to have a significant prognostic value.