EFFECTS OF ANABOLIC-ANDROGENIC STEROIDS ON MENTAL HEALTH - COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW

Mateusz Kosowski; Wiktor Śliwiński; Karolina Zarówna; Daniel Chołuj; Jakub Marciniak; Jakub Mazur; Weronika Pura; Dominika Matecka

doi:10.31435/ijitss.2(50).2026.5015

Authors

Mateusz Kosowski Independent Public Healthcare Institution in Koło, Koło, Poland https://orcid.org/0009-0001-0811-5326
Wiktor Śliwiński The Independent Public Healthcare Institution of the Ministry of the Interior and Administration in Łódź, Łódź, Poland https://orcid.org/0009-0003-3584-9776
Karolina Zarówna District Hospital Complex in Oleśnica, Oleśnica, Poland https://orcid.org/0009-0003-6066-7667
Daniel Chołuj The Independent Public Healthcare Institution of the Ministry of the Interior and Administration in Łódź, Łódź, Poland https://orcid.org/0009-0009-1445-6336
Jakub Marciniak University Clinical Hospital No. 2 of the Medical University of Łódź, Łódź, Poland https://orcid.org/0009-0004-5675-6963
Jakub Mazur Voivodeship Combined Hospital in Kielce, Kielce, Poland https://orcid.org/0009-0005-1089-9210
Weronika Pura The Independent Public Healthcare Institution of the Ministry of the Interior and Administration in Łódź, Łódź, Poland https://orcid.org/0009-0007-2889-667X
Dominika Matecka Józef Struś Municipal Hospital, Multispecialty Medical Centre, Poznań, Poland https://orcid.org/0009-0000-4644-5943

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31435/ijitss.2(50).2026.5015

Keywords:

Mental Health, Anabolic-Androgenic Steroids, Psychiatry, Neuroinflammation

Abstract

This review summarizes current information on the mechanisms and adverse outcomes of anabolic-androgenic steroid (AAS) usage. Chronic use of AAS induces significant structural and functional changes in the brain, especially in the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, and amygdala, through monoaminergic and GABAergic dysregulation, alterations in the tryptophan-kynurenine pathway, and neuroinflammation. Moreover, abuse of AAS causes remodeling of fronto-limbic circuits, as well as suppression of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis. Clinically, excessive AAS consumption is associated with psychotic, depressive, and anxiety-related symptoms, cognitive decline, and increased aggressive behaviors.

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