Psychoneuroendocrinology
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Hyperactivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)-axis is a common finding in major depressive disorder. Similar studies on suicide attempters are less abundant, and the results are divergent. The main aim of the present study was to investigate HPA-axis parameters by the time of a suicide attempt and at follow-up in search for associations between HPA-axis function and suicidal behavior. ⋯ We found evidence for an association between low HPA-axis activity and suicidal behavior. This could be due to long-lasting and severe psychiatric morbidity, which in turn has exhausted the HPA-axis of these patients. The potential role of hypocortisolism should be given more attention in studies on suicidal patients.