Correlation between serum and salivary cortisol levels in depressed and nondepressed children and adolescents.

Serum and saliva cortisol levels were determined in 34 depressed and nondepressed children and adolescents. The serum and salivary measures were highly correlated. The measurement of salivary cortisol may be a useful noninvasive technique in the study of cortisol secretion patterns in young subjects.