Anabolic steroid misuse: How much should we know?

The misuse of anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) and other performance enhancing (ergogenic) drugs remains largely unrecognized by many health professionals. The real extent of the problem is unknown, probably as a result of a combination of various methodological difficulties. Examples include poor definition of cases, obstacle in recruiting large enough samples for longitudinal follow-up, ethical issues as AAS are obtained from the black market and the covert nature of the problem itself. Our review attempts to alert psychiatrists and mental health professionals to the risks associated with these compounds. We cover the pharmacology, epidemiology, the use and misuse and relevant complications.