The present study purported to explore the relationships between alcoholism and depression in 26 chronic alcoholics who were admitted to National Seoul Mental Hospital. Each of these patients was assessed by Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, Self-Rating Depression Scale at least 2 weeks after admission, and by dexamethasone suppression test at least 3 weeks after admission according to the medical exclusion criteria (except abnormal hepatic enzyme). The results are summarrized as follows : The prevalences of depression in chronic alcoholics are 15% on clinical impression, 23% on self rating depression scale, 53% on Hamilton depression rating scale, 0% on Depression scale of MMPI, 16.1% on Mania scale of MMPI, and 61.5% totally No significant difference between the normal and the abnormal hepatic enzyme groups was found in 2 serum cortisol levels suppressed by dexamethasone. The two of 26 patients (7. S%) were found to be nonsuppressor by the dexamethasone suppression test. These two patients were converted to suppressor 4 weeks after elavil medication.