Finasteride Use Does Not Lead to Depression or Suicide: Insights From a Large-Scale Cohort Study and Mendelian Randomization Analysis

December 2025 in “ Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology ”

Jing Wang

finasteride Mendelian randomization COX regression UK Biobank Propecia

TLDR Finasteride does not increase the risk of depression or suicide.

A large-scale cohort study and Mendelian randomization analysis investigated the potential link between finasteride use and the risk of depression or suicide. Utilizing five datasets for exposures and ten for outcomes, the study employed Mendelian randomization and COX regression models on the UK Biobank cohort. The results indicated that finasteride prescription is not associated with an increased risk of depression or suicide, even after adjusting for covariates and applying false discovery rate correction. The study concludes that there is no evidence to support a causal relationship between systemic finasteride use and heightened risk of depression or suicide.

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