Anabolic steroids may affect future mental health

There is a link between use of anabolic-androgenic steroids and reduced mental health later in life. This is the main conclusion of a new study on elite male strength athletes that researchers from the University of Gothenburg recently published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. Twenty per cent of the subjects in the study admitted steroid use.

The study is published by CERA, which is the University of Gothenburg's centre for education and research on addiction. Together with colleagues from Sahlgrenska University Hospital, they found a connection between abuse of anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) and mental health problems many years later.

The study included almost 700 former Swedish wrestlers, weightlifters, powerlifters and throwers who competed at the elite level sometime between 1960 and 1979. Twenty per cent of them admitted using steroids during their active careers. The purpose of the study was to look for links between AAS use and mental problems.

'We found a clear link. AAS users were more likely to have been treated for depression, concentration problems and aggressive behaviour,' says Claudia Fahlke, director at CERA.

The researchers also found that AAS users were more likely to have abused other illicit drugs and alcohol. However, it remains unclear whether the steroid use actually caused the mental health problems or the mental health problems rather caused the steroid use.

'What we were able to show, though, is that psychiatric symptoms and use of steroids and other drugs tend to reinforce each other in a vicious cycle. This suggests that the anti-doping efforts remain very important, both in and outside of sports,' says Fahlke.

Anabolic steroids are prescription-only medicines that are sometimes taken illegally to increase muscle mass and athletic performance. If used in this way, they can cause serious side effects and addiction.

Anabolic steroids are manufactured drugs that mimic the effects of the male hormone testosterone. They have limited medical uses and are not to be confused with corticosteroids, a different type of steroid drug commonly prescribed for a variety of conditions.

This page explains the dangers of misusing anabolic steroids and aims to advise and support those who are addicted to the drugs. It covers:

why people misuse anabolic steroids
how they are taken
side effects
addiction
getting help

Why people misuse anabolic steroids

Anabolic steroids are performance-enhancing drugs that increase muscle mass and decrease fat, as well as producing many undesirable effects. Read more about the side effects of anabolic steroids.