Normal urinary free cortisol and postdexamethasone cortisol in social phobia: comparison to normal volunteers

Abstract

In primates, social stress is associated with activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Social phobia is a common, often disabling, form of pathological anxiety characterized by marked distress in situations involving possible scrutiny or evaluation. Little is known about HPA function in patients with social phobia. We examined 24-hour excretion of urinary free cortisol (UFC) in 54 patients with social phobia and post-dexamethasone cortisol levels in 64 patients with social phobia and found no evidence of HPA-axis overactivity compared to normal controls, despite pathological levels of anxiety.