Can Feeling Depressed Cause Tiredness, and How Might Low Testosterone Be Related to These Symptoms?

Reviewed by Garrett Kneese, MD, MPH

Family Medicine

Yes, feeling depressed can make you very tired, and low testosterone might also add to fatigue and mood changes.

Explanation

When someone feels depressed, they often have little energy and feel very tired. Depression affects how our brain works, which can lower our energy and make everyday activities feel harder. Tiredness is one of the common signs that people with depression report. Testosterone is a hormone that helps keep our energy up and our mood steady. When levels of testosterone are low, a person might feel even more tired and may have a lower mood. In simple words, low testosterone can make it harder to feel energetic and happy. Some studies show that lower testosterone levels are linked with more tiredness and mood problems. This means that both depression and low testosterone can work together to cause fatigue and other symptoms like feeling sad or lacking motivation. Understanding this connection can help doctors and patients think about different ways to feel better and improve energy levels.

(References)

Määttänen I, Gluschkoff K, Komulainen K, Airaksinen J, Savelieva K, García-Velázquez R, Jokela M. Testosterone and specific symptoms of depression: Evidence from NHANES 2011-2016. Compr Psychoneuroendocrinol. 2021 Mar 10;6:100044. doi: 10.1016/j.cpnec.2021.100044. PMID: 35757365; PMCID: PMC9216439.
Kheirkhah F, Hosseini SR, Hosseini SF, Ghasemi N, Bijani A, G Cumming R. Relationship between testosterone levels and depressive symptoms in older men in Amirkola, Iran. Caspian J Intern Med. 2014 Spring;5(2):65-70. PMID: 24778779; PMCID: PMC3992230.
Zitzmann M. Testosterone, mood, behaviour and quality of life. Andrology. 2020 Nov;8(6):1598-1605. doi: 10.1111/andr.12867. Epub 2020 Jul 30. PMID: 32657051.
Maharjan DT, Syed AAS, Lin GN, Ying W. Testosterone in Female Depression: A Meta-Analysis and Mendelian Randomization Study. Biomolecules. 2021 Mar 10;11(3):409. doi: 10.3390/biom11030409. PMID: 33802106; PMCID: PMC7999217.

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