Dexamethasone for the treatment of depression: A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial.

Assessed the use of dexamethasone in treating depression among 37 patients (aged 20–67 yrs) with major depressive disorder. Ss were randomly assigned to receive either placebo or oral dexamethasone (4 mg/day) for 4 days. Ss also completed the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression at baseline and 14 days after the 1st dose of medication. Dexamethasone was significantly more effective than placebo within 14 days for the treatment of depression; 7 of 19 Ss receiving dexamethasone reported positive results, while only 1 of 18 Ss receiving placebo reported positive results. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)