In this letter, Dr. Mayer Brezis critiques a study on finasteride's mental health impact, arguing that its dismissal of links between the drug and depression or suicide is flawed; he suggests market withdrawal due to established neuropsychiatric risks.
Dr. Mayer Brezis argues that a study by Wang et al. incorrectly concluded that finasteride does not cause depression or suicide, due to methodological flaws, and suggests halting its marketing under the precautionary principle.
April 2026 in “International Journal of Impotence Research” This review outlines the major health consequences of anabolic-androgenic steroid abuse, with a focus on sexual and reproductive issues, and suggests management prioritizes cessation and relapse prevention due to lack of robust randomized trials.
December 2025 in “The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry” Finasteride can cause depression and suicidal thoughts; safer alternatives are recommended.
April 2026 in “Brain Sciences” 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.