A group of researchers at Gangnam Severance Hospital have developed a psychological evaluation tool kit to comprehensively assess biological, psychological, and social factors related to depression and suicide.

The team, led by Professor Seok Jung-ho of the Department of Mental Health Medicine at Gangnam Severance Hospital, performed a correlation analysis of high-risk depression using indicators, such as childhood trauma and resilience, to aid in the early detection and prevention of the disease.

Based on data collected from 73 individuals, the researchers classified them into three groups -- a green group with good mental health, a red group with a high risk for depression, and a yellow group standing on the borderline between disease and a healthy state.

The research team conducted a saliva cortisol hormone analysis in the three groups to reflect changes in the function of the neuroendocrine system in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, pituitary, and adrenal glands. After collecting saliva three times in 30-minute intervals immediately after waking up in the morning, they measured the concentration of cortisol hormones in the saliva.

Cortisol increases its secretion when stressed and maintains blood pressure, helps balance electrolytes, promotes energy storage, and promotes cardiopulmonary activity to prevent stress, facilitating more agile and clear judgments.

The results showed that the total concentration of cortisol after waking up in the morning in the depression risk group was significantly smaller than the amount of cortisol in the group with good mental health. Consequently, the more severe the depression, the less prepared the body functions in the morning to cope with stress.

Furthermore, the amount of salivary cortisol during the 30 minutes of waking up in the morning showed the greatest increase in the good mental health group compared to the high depression risk group.

"In mental health medicine, depression has been conventionally diagnosed via self-report depression evaluation and treatment," Professor Seok said.

However, evaluating biological indicators, such as the salivary cortisol hormone, beyond psychological and social evaluation for diagnosing depression and assessing the characteristics of mental health status will now be possible, thereby enhancing scientific objectivity, Seok added.

Meanwhile, Frontiers in Physics, an international journal, published the study in its latest issue.