Do cortisol and thyroxin correlate with nervousness and depression among male army veterans?
Elevated cortisol is recognized as a transient response to stress, and is also found among patients with major depressive disorder. Abnormally high levels of thyroxin are associated with nervousness and irritability, while very low levels are associated with lethargy. Therefore it is reasonable to ask if variations in cortisol and thyroxin within a normal population are associated with differences in anxiety and depression. These expectations were tested in a large sample of male army veterans. Nervousness is significantly associated with both thyroxin and cortisol, although several other symptoms of anxiety or depression are not.
