Psychiatric Symptoms Associated with Anabolic Steroids: A Controlled, Retrospective Study

AbstractThis investigation characterized the symptom patterns and mental status changes precipitated by anabolic steroid abuse. Twenty male weightlifters who were currently using anabolic steroids were compared to 20 male weightlifters who had never used steroids. The steroid users had significantly (p < 0.005) more somatic, depressive, anxiety, hostility, and paranoid complaints when using steroids than when they were not using the drugs. When contrasted to the weightlifter controls, the steroid users had a significantly (p < 0.005) greater number of complaints of depression, anxiety, and hostility during cycles of steroid use. However, no differences in the frequency of major mental disorders were found between the two groups. It is concluded that the organic affective changes associated with anabolic steroid abuse usually present as a subsyndromal depressive disorder of insufficient severity to be classified as a psychiatric disorder.