Millions of men undergoing hair loss treatment may be putting their mental health on the line, according to recent findings. Finasteride, a drug prescribed for androgenetic alopecia, the most common cause of baldness, has been linked to a higher risk of suicide in global studies. Professor Mayer Brezis, a researcher at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, has published a review in The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry that argues there is enough evidence to classify depression, anxiety, and suicidality as genuine risks of the drug.
Brezis noted the concerns were first raised as early as 2002, with four independent analyses between 2017 and 2023 indicating a significant increase in depression, anxiety, and suicidal behavior. The review suggests the risk of neuropsychiatric effects should be taken seriously, with the potential for hundreds of thousands of people to have endured depression and hundreds to have died by suicide over the past two decades.
Finasteride users have reported ongoing symptoms even after stopping the medication, including insomnia, panic attacks, cognitive dysfunction, and suicidal thoughts. These adverse effects have been consistently observed across diverse populations, according to Brezis, who stated the evidence is now beyond anecdotal.
Although the FDA acknowledged depression as a potential side effect of finasteride in 2011, and suicidality in 2022, Brezis argues the number of suicides linked to the drug may have been much higher. The agency recorded 18 suicides linked to finasteride in 2011, though Brezis contends this number should have been