Severe depression or depression associated with psychotic symptoms is associated with hypercortisolemia [2], which reflects an impaired negative feed-back of glucocorticoids on the activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis [3], an enhanced adrenal response to adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) [4], or other mechanisms. This evidence concerns the gene POMC and adrenal gland hyperfunction.