A primary health-care provider infers from a test that a client’s depression is somatically treatable. The elevated level of which parameter might be the reason for reaching such a conclusion?

serum cortisol

Explanation:

The elevated serum cortisol is the parameter that can serve as an indicator that a client’s depression is somatically treatable.

Somatic symptoms disorder is any psychological disorder that manifests with physical symptoms but with no physical cause that can be identified. The common symptoms includes depression and anxiety. Some parameters can be used to detect if depression can be somatically treated or not . Elevated cortisol ( which is also known as stress hormone) can trigger some pathways on the nervous system( the brain) which are capable of predisposing one to mental health issues like anxiety, stress and cortisol. Therefore if high cortisol level is detected in depressed patient, client’s depression is somatically treatable.