Physical complaints correlate better with depression than do dexamethasone suppression test results.

DST responses of 67 Israeli inpatients, a group heterogeneous in ethnic background, were examined. Overall, 56% of depressed patients and 34% of patients with diagnoses other than depression were DST nonsuppressors. Ethnic background did not significantly influence the DST response. Scores on the Carroll Rating Scale for Depression (CRS) and the Physical Complaints List (PCL) did not correlate significantly with DST response. PCL scores correlated significantly with the diagnosis of depression. The data support the view that the DST has limited utility as a biologic marker of depression, but that an analysis of physical complaints using the PCL may be useful in the differential diagnosis of depression in some cultures.