Title:Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) for Depression: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
VOLUME: 17 ISSUE: 9
Author(s):Clayton Peixoto*, Antonio Jose Grande, Mariana Bonotto Mallmann, Antonio Egídio Nardi, Adriana Cardoso and André Barciela Veras
Affiliation:Laboratory of Panic and Respiration, Institute of Psychiatry, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Laboratory of Evidence-Based Practice, State University of Mato Grosso do Sul (UEMS), Campo Grande, Post-graduation Program in Health Psychology, Catholic University Dom Bosco (UCDB), Campo Grande, Laboratory of Panic and Respiration, Institute of Psychiatry, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Laboratory of Panic and Respiration, Institute of Psychiatry, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Post-graduation Program in Health Psychology, Catholic University Dom Bosco (UCDB), Campo Grande
Keywords:Dehydroepiandrosterone, DHEA treatment, depression, depression treatment, depressive disorder, depressive
symptoms, mood disorders.
Abstract:Background: Depression is a mental disorder that affects a large part of the world's population.
DHEA is a hormone that has long been attributed to the ability to improve depressive symptoms. However,
few studies were conducted with depression individuals not resulting from other medical conditions.
Objective: To investigate whether DHEA is more effective than placebo in the treatment of depressive
symptoms in subjects with depression not resulting from other psychiatric or medical comorbidities.
Methods: An electronic search was carried out using the keywords Dehydroepiandrosterone (Mesh)
AND Depression (Mesh) in the following databases: Medical Literature databases Analysis and Retrieval
System Online (Medline), Excerpta Medical Database (EMBASE), Latin American and Caribbean
Health Sciences (LILACS) and the Cochrane Library through their website for relevant publications
until June 2018. Only randomized clinical trials were included. The critical appraisal of the articles
was performed using the Risk of Bias Tool from Cochrane Collaboration.
Results: The meta-analysis applied in this review pointed to a significant effect in favor of treatment
with DHEA compared to placebo.
Conclusion: DHEA may be one more effective alternative between the drugs used in the treatment of
depression.
