@article{ref1,
title="The dexamethasone suppression test and DSM-III-R diagnoses in suicide attempters",
journal="European psychiatry",
year="2003",
author="Westrin, Asa and Frii, Karin and Träskman-Bendz, Lil",
volume="18",
number="7",
pages="350-355",
abstract="Previous research on hypothalamic-pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis-activity in suicide attempter research has shown conflicting outcomes. The design of the present study was to test the influence of personality disorders and concominant axis I diagnoses on the dexamethasone suppression diagnostic test by use of multiple regression analyses. The sample consisted of 184 patients with a recent suicide attempt and 42 healthy controls. As expected, the lowest pre- and postdexamethasone cortisol levels were found in patients with personality disorders axis II, cluster B as compared to the other patients. The results remained significant when analysed for covariance with DSM-III-R axis I diagnoses, age or sex. Whether these low cortisol levels are due to previous experience of extreme stressful events or long-lasting burden, or whether they may be a consequence of biogenetic or psychological predisposal of interest, remains to be elucidated. Axis I comorbidity needs to be further examined.<p /><p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0924-9338",
doi="10.1016/j.eurpsy.2003.07.004",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.eurpsy.2003.07.004"
}