From the article: Women who use anabolic steroids tend to exhibit heightened levels of psychopathology, such as depression and antisocial traits, according to new findings published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research.

“We were interested in this topic because very little is known about women who take anabolic steroids, and most studies tend to focus on the visible effects of these substances, rather than on the potential psychiatric effects or traits that make women prone to start using steroids,” explained study author Morgan Scarth, a PhD student at the Oslo University Hospital. “This is a result of stigma and perceived low prevalence of anabolic steroid use among females, and we wanted to know more about these women and their mental health.”

The study included 32 female weight-lifting athletes from Norway, who were recruited via social media, web forums, and flyers. Six participants indicated that they were currently using anabolic steroids, while 10 women were previous consumers. The researchers collected urine samples to confirm steroid use. The most commonly used steroids were Anavar (oxandrolone), clenbuterol, Winstrol (stanozolol) and Primobolan (metenolone).

The women completed the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-III, a scientifically validated questionnaire designed to assess 14 personality disorders (such as narcissism) and 10 clinical syndromes (such as anxiety and bipolar disorder). The participants also provided information regarding their weight-lifting training and records along with health-related information and previous pharmacological treatment for medical or psychiatric conditions.

Compared to those who had never used anabolic steroids, women who had used or were currently using anabolic steroids showed elevated levels of anxiety, somatic symptom disorder, bipolar disorder, dysthymia, alcohol dependence, drug dependence, PTSD, thought disorder, major depression, and delusional disorder. Women who had used or were currently using steroids also scored significantly higher on measures of depressive, antisocial, sadistic, negativistic, masochistic/self-defeating, and borderline personality disorders.