Testosterone Improves Depression in Low T Men

[Jinzang]

A small study (16 men) found that men whose depression had not improved on anti-depressants improved from TS (testosterone supplementation). Improvement were measured by the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) score. The abstract says:

After TS, the BDI-II score decreased by approximately 31% (p<0.01), from 27.2 (mean; standard deviation [SD] 11.8) to 18.8 (mean; SD 11.3). Patients with baseline BDI-II scores ranging from 29 to 63 (severe depression) showed a significantly higher absolute and relative reduction through TS. Also, men with a shorter depression duration (<2 years) demonstrated a greater benefit. The depressed, hypogonadal men generally benefited from TS given that the BDI-II score reduction was almost twice as much as needed for a minimal clinically important difference.