Exogenous Testosterone Administration Can Help with Depression

Receiving injections of exogenous testosterone can help some men who suffer from depression.

According to a new study, roughly half of the depressed men who were given testosterone injections experienced dramatic decreases in symptoms of depression.  Conversely, only ten percent of the placebo group saw any improvement.

Conclusions

Clearly, there are many factors that can contribute to depression, and testosterone will not always be relevant.  In some cases, however, there does appear to be a link between low testosterone and depressive symptoms.  Those who suffer from depression must consider all aspects of health, such as hormone levels, in order to accurately deduce the root cause of the depression in hopes of treating it properly.

Reference

Seidman, S. N., Orr, G., Raviv, G., Levi, R., Roose, S. P., Kravitz, E., … & Weiser, M. (2009). Effects of testosterone replacement in middle-aged men with dysthymia: a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Journal of clinical psychopharmacology, 29(3), 216-221.