February 2026 in “Postgraduate Medicine” This meta-analysis reports that 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors are associated with a 31% increased risk of depression, with varying outcomes depending on the comparator group, highlighting significant heterogeneity across studies.
December 2025 in “Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology” This study found that finasteride use is not significantly associated with an increased risk of depression or suicide, based on Mendelian randomization analysis and COX regression analysis in a large UK Biobank cohort.
September 2025 in “The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry” Current evidence reviewed in this study indicates that finasteride, a drug for hair loss, can cause depression and suicidality, with delayed recognition partly due to insufficient post-approval pharmacovigilance by manufacturers and regulators.
March 2025 in “Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology” This study found that reports of suicidal ideations linked to oral finasteride were significantly higher in 2013–2018 and 2019–2023 compared to 2006–2011, potentially due to increased awareness of post-finasteride syndrome from 2012 onward. No such signals were seen with oral dutasteride.
29 citations
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January 2023 in “Journal of Clinical Medicine” This review discusses psychological treatments for alopecia, finding limited but positive effects on mental health, quality of life, and possibly hair growth; however, more research is needed to establish intervention efficacy.
40 citations
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November 2020 in “JAMA Dermatology” This pharmacovigilance study found an increased association of suicidality and psychological adverse events with finasteride use, especially among younger patients using it for alopecia.
178 citations
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April 2017 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” This systematic review and meta-analysis found that minoxidil, finasteride, and low-level laser light therapy significantly improve hair growth in men with androgenetic alopecia, while minoxidil is also effective for women, compared to placebo.
44 citations
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July 2011 in “Dermatologic Therapy” This study found that finasteride 1 mg was effective in improving androgenetic alopecia over 10 years in men, particularly those older than 30, with some reporting beneficial results even after 5 years.
7 citations
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May 2002 in “Hair transplant forum international” This article reviews long-term data on the efficacy and safety of finasteride over five years but reports no new clinical results.
