Testosterone may boost therapy for women with social anxiety disorder
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is a condition that affects millions of people worldwide. It causes intense fear and avoidance of social situations, affecting one’s quality of life and well-being. While exposure therapy, where patients face their fears gradually, is an effective treatment, it does not work for everyone. Now, a new study from the Netherlands suggests that testosterone, a hormone typically associated with men, may help women with SAD overcome their fears more easily.
Testosterone is a steroid hormone that regulates many aspects of physical and mental health, such as muscle growth, sex drive, and mood. It is produced by both men and women, but in different amounts. Previous research has shown that testosterone can reduce fear and anxiety in animals and humans, by influencing brain regions involved in emotion regulation. However, the effects of testosterone on SAD and exposure therapy have not been well-studied.
The researchers recruited 55 women with SAD and randomly assigned them to receive either a single dose of testosterone or a placebo before undergoing a session of exposure therapy. The therapy involved giving a speech in front of a small audience, while receiving feedback from the therapist and the audience. The participants rated their fear and avoidance before and after the session, and also wore a device that measured their heart rate and skin conductance, two indicators of physiological arousal.
The results, published in the journal Psychoneuroendocrinology, showed that testosterone had a significant effect on the participants’ fear reduction during the exposure session. Specifically, those who received testosterone and had stronger avoidance tendencies experienced larger reductions in fear than those who received placebo. This suggests that testosterone may enhance the learning process that occurs during exposure therapy, by helping the participants to cope with the challenging situation and update their beliefs about their social abilities.
“The current study adds to a growing body of literature indicating that individuals with SAD [social anxiety disorder] who enter exposure treatment with strong social avoidance tendencies may benefit from additional treatment with testosterone,” the study authors concluded.
However, the study also found that testosterone did not have a lasting effect on the participants’ SAD symptoms. There was no difference between the testosterone and placebo groups in terms of their fear and avoidance ratings after the session, or in their physiological responses. The researcher explains that this may be because a single dose of testosterone is not enough to produce a long-term change in the brain. “More research is needed to test whether testosterone can actually improve the effect of therapy. But it seems that testosterone can be a valuable addition,” he says.
The study is one of the first to explore the potential role of testosterone in treating women with SAD. It adds to a growing body of evidence that hormones, including sex hormones, may play a significant role in how we experience and manage anxiety. The researcher hopes that future studies will continue to investigate this possibility, and find ways to optimize the use of testosterone as an adjunct to exposure therapy. He also notes that testosterone may have different effects on men and women, and that more research is needed to understand the gender differences in SAD and its treatment.
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