How testosterone can help men with depression

Testosterone therapy may be an effective way to treat depression in men, new research has found.

Scientists have long believed there may be a link between levels of the hormone and depression, with much debate over whether testosterone treatment might help with mood disorders.

The new study, published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry, reviewed 27 randomised control trials conducted since 2000, involving a total of 1,890 men with varying levels of testosterone and severity of depression.

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“The research analysis checked for the effectiveness of testosterone treatments (depression differences before and after treatment), the number of men who responded positively to the treatments, and how many men stuck with the treatments through the course of the studies,” explains Forbes.

The international research team found there was a clear improvement of depression symptoms in men who were given a testosterone supplement compared with those who took a placebo.

The greatest effects were seen in men who initially had low testosterone levels, and in those who were treated with doses of higher than 0.5g per week.

Benefits were seen within six weeks of beginning the treatment, and both younger and older men reported improvements in their moods.

“Testosterone treatment appears to be effective and efficacious in reducing depressive symptoms in men, particularly when high-dosage regimens were applied in carefully selected samples,” the researchers conclude in their report.

Previously, there has been mixed evidence on the effectiveness of testosterone therapy.

Study co-author Dr Andreas Walther, from the German university TU Dresden, told The Guardian that his team’s aim had been to “clear up the picture”.

Effective treatments for depression are badly needed, with almost 17% of men in the UK reporting feelings of depression and anxiety.

However, while the latest findings have been welcomed by many scientists, some warn that more research is needed before testosterone can be recommended officially as a treatment.

“With testosterone, there might be an effect on what one might think of broadly as vitality - men might feel like they have got more energy, might eat more, but that may not be accompanied by an effect on core symptoms of depression such as low mood and loss of interest” said Allan Young, a professor of mood disorders at King’s College London, who was not involved in the study.

Walther’s team agree that caution is warranted, saying “more pre-registered trials are needed that explicitly examine depression as the primary end point and consider relevant moderators”.