What are blood cortisol levels in anxious, depressive, mixed, and healthy controls in high altitude?

Objective

We aim to determine the difference in blood cortisol levels between major depression, mixed anxious depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and healthy controls during COVID-19 social isolation in Cusco (3400 m.a.s.l.).

Methods

Non-experimental, cross-sectional analytical design study, designed to determine the difference in blood cortisol levels between anxiety, depression, and mixed disorders in adults aged 25–65 living in Cusco, at the Mental Health Community Center of San Sebastian.

Results

Significant differences were found in the morning, afternoon, and ratio (Afternoon/Morning cortisol) in all the groups. All the pathological groups showed increased cortisol levels than the healthy controls. Major depression group showed a flattening of the normal regulation line of cortisol.

Conclusions

The blood cortisol test shows significant values for the discrimination of affective pathology, particularly between depressive and anxious disorders and normal controls.