Results from a meta-analysis published in JAMA Psychiatry showed that testosterone may have utility in the adjunct treatment of depressive symptoms in men. However, additional studies are needed to definitively establish efficacy, as well as ideal dosage, according to researchers.

“The association between testosterone and depression has been extensively debated because testosterone is a neuroactive steroid hormone influencing mood and appetitive behavior,” Andreas Walther, PhD, from the department of biological psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Germany, and colleagues wrote. “Randomized placebo-controlled clinical trials of testosterone treatment in hypogonadal men that examine depressive symptoms have yielded inconsistent results.”