Signal Detection of Depression and Suicidality Associated with Finasteride and Dutasteride: Updated Pharmacovigilance Evidence and Recommendations for Comprehensive Psychiatric Assessment

    April 2026 in “ Brain Sciences ”
    Stefania Chiappini, John Martin Corkery, Amira Guirguis … Nicolo ’ Schifano
    Studysummary This pharmacovigilance study analyzed FAERS data and found that finasteride is more frequently associated with neuropsychiatric reactions like depression and suicide risk, especially in younger men using it for alopecia, compared to dutasteride.
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    Research cited in this study 18

    1. Isolated Depressive Disorders and Suicidality With Finasteride Use for Androgenetic Alopecia: A Call for Enhanced Vigilance Therapies · 2025
    2. Signal Detection Between 5-Alpha Reductase Inhibitors and the Risk of Suicidality and Depression: An International Pharmacovigilance Analysis European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology · 2025
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    4. US Food and Drug Administration Warning Regarding Finasteride and Suicidal Ideation: What Should Urologists Know? European urology open science · 2023
    5. Association of 5α-Reductase Inhibitors With Dementia, Depression, and Suicide JAMA network open · 2022
    6. Are Finasteride-Related Penile Curvature/Peyronie’s Disease Adverse Event Reports Worthy of Further Clinical Investigation? Disproportionality Analysis Based on Both the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) Pharmacovigilance Databases International Journal of Impotence Research · 2022
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    8. Investigation of Suicidality and Psychological Adverse Events in Patients Treated With Finasteride JAMA Dermatology · 2020
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    14. Association of Suicidality and Depression With 5α-Reductase Inhibitors JAMA Internal Medicine · 2017
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