Testosterone Levels and Male Depression - Research Paper Example

? Testosterone Levels and Male Depression Research Paper of Introduction It is a widely known medical fact that sex hormones, or gonadal steroids, have psychological effects. A hormonal deterioration may even cause depressive symptoms. It has been discovered that testosterone levels affect mood, especially in men. There are several proofs that decline in testosterone levels could be related to depression, specifically in older men, and it has been hypothesized that testosterone could be helpful in the treatment of depressive symptoms in instances wherein there is a decrease in the amount of testosterone (Kaplan, 2012). Almost all vital organ systems in the human body need testosterone to work efficiently hence their functioning is also affected by a decrease in testosterone levels. The overall health of men, especially their psychological or emotional wellbeing, largely depends on testosterone levels. Because testosterone’s serum level lowers as men become older, sexual fervor and strength also lowers, resulting in a higher risk for depressive symptoms. Decrease in testosterone levels can also cause impotence in mean, and this is usually another cause of depression (Grant & Potenza, 2007). Luckily testosterone levels can be diagnosed and treated. Relationship between Testosterone Levels and Depression in Men Some empirical findings substantiate the assumption that testosterone is related to depression. Primarily, cross-sectional research has studied the connection between testosterone levels and development of depressive symptoms. In addition, the levels of gonadotropin in non-depressed and depressed groups have been studied. Moreover, there are quite a few longitudinal studies looking at the testosterone levels throughout occurrences of depression in men (Kaplan, 2012). Basically, one way to understand the effect of testosterone levels on male depression is to study the correlation between testosterone levels and depression in elderly males. Sternbach (1998) examined empirical studies on the natural decrease of testosterone in adult males and discovered an apparent correlation between low testosterone levels and different symptoms of mood disorders, such as bad temper, sexual problems, anxiety, and depression. These natural outcomes of the decrease of testosterone may resemble a mood disturbance in elderly males. This correlation offers indirect substantiation for a relationship between testosterone levels and male depression (Heidelbaugh, 2007). Studies that focus on the effect of testosterone levels on the development of depressive symptoms among adult males have produced varied findings. Yesavage and colleagues (1985) studied levels of testosterone in depressed males and discovered a moderate inverse correlation between levels of testosterone and the degree of depression when the latter was controlled. The hypothesized correlation between degree of depression and testosterone levels was discovered. Another set of studies that substantiates the effect of testosterone on male depression is derived from the application of the testosterone replacement therapy in the treatment of depressive symptoms in men. A number of studies have supported the effectiveness of testosterone replacement therapy in the treatment of depressive symptoms in men with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) (Heidelbaugh, 2007). Wagner and colleagues (1996) reported that testosterone replacement therapy had a greater positive outcome compared to standard antidepressant treatments in treating depressive symptoms in males with HIV. Even though it may be tempting to search for a hormone-based biological substrate to demonstrate the severity and prevalence of male depression, there are no sufficient or strong indications that testosterone affects the prevalence and degree of depression in males. Treatment research supporting this is carried out with clinically vulnerable males, several of whom also display acute depressive symptoms (Grant & Potenza, 2007). It is not empirically reasonable to make generalizations from these findings about the effect of testosterone on the development of depressive symptoms in men. It does seem that increase in levels of testosterone as an outcome of testosterone replacement therapy does have a considerable effect on the mood condition of patients (Pinsky & Hellstrom, 2010). Nevertheless, research that has studied directly the levels of testosterone in males manifesting depression have been largely indecisive and ambiguous. Diagnostic Tests and Treatment for Low Testosterone Levels and Depression As stated in the code of the Endocrine Society, a specialized group of physicians who study and care for hormonal problems, reduced levels of testosterone can be diagnosed in elderly men if the patient has low testosterone levels. If the physician observes any signs of low testosterone levels, a blood test can be performed to determine the amount of testosterone (Kaplan, 2012). Men who suspect that they have low levels of testosterone may ask their physicians about the Sexual Health Inventory for Men (SHIM) or the Androgen Deficiency in the Aging Male (ADAM) questionnaire (Kaplan, 2012, 35). Their answers to the questions can guide them and their physicians in deciding whether or not to check their testosterone levels. A diagnosis of levels of testosterone requires performing a thorough medical checkup and laboratory and physical tests to verify the diagnosis. The physician will try to determine if the low levels of testosterone are caused by a medical problem or by a medication the patient is taking (Pinsky & Hellstrom, 2010). A cheap and dependable diagnostic test for low levels of testosterone is a ‘morning serum total testosterone level’ (Heidelbaugh, 2007, 131). Testosterone replacement therapy can alleviate several of the symptoms of low levels of testosterone. Even though the effect of testosterone on the development of depressive symptoms in men has yet to be conclusively explained, several findings have confirmed major antidepressant outcomes with testosterone replacement in males with depressive symptoms (Heidelbaugh, 2007). Low levels of testosterone have been evident in a number of psychological and somatic indications, like reduced libido, anorexia, bad temper, low energy, and dysphoria, resembling those usually observed in acute depression, and males with low testosterone levels treated with androgen replacement therapy have manifested a reduction of symptoms (Margolese, 2000). Testosterone replacement therapy could be a potent treatment for male depression. Vogel and colleagues (1985) confirmed the effectiveness of synthetic androgen mesterolone in the treatment of males with depressive symptoms, with mesterolone resulting in a smaller number of side effects. Seidman and Rabkin (1998) discovered that five patients with low levels of testosterone all manifested considerable improvement when they were treated with intramuscular testosterone enanthate injections alongside selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) treatment for roughly two months. However, even though several earlier studies applying testosterone replacement therapy in the treatment of depressed males seem encouraging, especially in males with low levels of testosterone, sample sizes have mostly been small, and additional studies are necessary to confirm the antidepressant effectiveness of testosterone replacement therapy (Simon, 2008). In addition, according to Pinksy and Hellstrom (2010), there are risks linked to the administration of testosterone that must be considered before testosterone replacement therapy is used. Conclusions A number of conclusions can be drawn from the discussion. Primarily, depression that may be caused by low levels of testosterone may lessen with testosterone replacement therapy. Also, depression which develops in males with low testosterone levels may be harder to treat with usual antidepressants. Testosterone replacement therapy, although not an effective major medication for depression, may reduce depressive symptoms in men when applied as a supplementary to antidepressant medication. And lastly, there are several findings showing that decline in levels of testosterone may be related to depression, especially in older males. Correctly diagnosing low testosterone levels and depressive symptoms in males is vital for treatment. Thus far, much of our knowledge about the relationship between testosterone levels and male depression has originated from studies conducted to examine them, and the importance of further research is evident. An improvement in our understanding of the complex relationships between psychosocial and hormonal aspects in the development of depression may eventually explain the relationship between testosterone levels and male depression and significantly enhance the diagnosis and treatment of depressive symptoms in men. Yet, until these aspects are accurately known, remedying this problem in men will continue to demand caution in diagnosing and properly recognizing the presence of signs of depression. References Grant, J.E. & Potenza, M.N. (2007). Textbook of Men’s Health. New York: American Psychiatric Publication. Heidelbaugh, J.J. (2007). Clinical Men’s Health: Evidence in Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Health Sciences. Kaplan, S. (2012). Men’s Health, An Issue of Urologic Clinics. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Health Sciences. Margolese, H.C. (2000). The Male Menopause and Mood: Testosterone Decline and Depression in the Aging Male—Is There a Link? Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neurology, 13(2), 93-101. Pinsky, M. & Hellstrom, W. (2010). Hypogonadism, ADAM, and hormone replacement. Therapeutic Advances in Eurology, 2(3), 99-104. Seidman, S.N. & Rabkin, J.G. (1998). Testosterone replacement therapy for hypogonadal men with SSRI-refractory depression. 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