This open study attempts to evaluate the usefulness of objective diagnostic tests in the child and adolescent age group. Fifty-eight children admitted to a Child and Adolescent Psychiatric service were administered the Dexamethasone Suppression Test (DST), the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) or both. Rates of DST non-suppression were significantly elevated in children with major affective disorders (10/12) and in children suffering from adjustment disorders (3/18). Children with major depressions and conduct disorders both showed elevated scores on the CDI(p < 0.025), and these two groups did not significantly differ from each other on this measure. The implications of these findings for future research are discussed.
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