[Investigations of the plasma cortisol in psychiatric diagnostic groups (author's transl)]

In 23 endogenous depressives, 24 schizophrenics, 15 manics, 23 depressed neurotics, 23 nondepressed neurotics and 29 nonpsychiatric patients as controls, the plasma cortisol in the morning (7:30 a.m.) and the evening (7:30 p.m.) was measured with radioimmunoassay. Comparing the means of the groups, significant differences were found. In the morning the means of the nondepressed neurotics (-x = 16.6 microgram/100 ml), the endogenous depressives (-x = 14.8 microgram/100 ml), and the depressed neurotics (-x = 14.4 microgram/100 ml) are greater than that of the controls (-x = 10.0 microgram/100 ml). In the evening the means of the nondepressed neurotics (-x = 8.8 microgram/100 ml), the manics (-x = 6.4 microgram/100 ml), and the endogenous depressives (-x = 7.0 microgram/100 ml) are greater than that of the controls (-x = 3.6 microgram/100 ml); also, the mean of the nondepressed neurotics (-x = 8.8 microgram/100 ml) is greater than those of the depressped neurotics (-x = 4.9 microgram/100 ml) and the schizophrenics (-x = 4.4 microgram/100 ml). The results are compared with the literature. The interpretation of the findings is problematic: probably unspecific factors of stress and specific factors of illness--at least in depressive illness of the endogenomorphic type--are relevant.