Depression and the Newcastle Scale. Their relationship to the dexamethasone suppression test

The results of 41 standardised dexamethasone suppression tests (DST) with the Newcastle Scale diagnostic weighting for endogenous depression correlated significantly (P less than .001). Specificity of the DST was found to be 89 per cent, sensitivity 82 per cent and the diagnostic confidence for endogenous depression 94 per cent. This strongly supports the validity of the Newcastle Scale diagnostic weighting for endogenous depression.