Salivary hormones in depression: the future in diagnosis and treatment

Abstract Depression is associated with a significant burden on individuals, families, and communities. It leads to impaired social and occupational functioning, increased disability, decreased quality of life, and higher mortality rates, often due to suicide. A recent estimate from the World Health...

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Main Authors: Stefan Harsanyi, Ida Kupcova, Maria Csobonyeiova, Martin Klein
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-02-01
Series:Annals of General Psychiatry
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12991-025-00548-y
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author Stefan Harsanyi
Ida Kupcova
Maria Csobonyeiova
Martin Klein
author_facet Stefan Harsanyi
Ida Kupcova
Maria Csobonyeiova
Martin Klein
author_sort Stefan Harsanyi
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Depression is associated with a significant burden on individuals, families, and communities. It leads to impaired social and occupational functioning, increased disability, decreased quality of life, and higher mortality rates, often due to suicide. A recent estimate from the World Health Organization (WHO) states that over 280 million people of all ages suffer from depression, which equals approximately 3.8% of the world population. Despite effective treatments for mental disorders, a dire treatment gap persists. This treatment gap could be reduced by effective and available diagnostic methods that have the potential to aid in depression diagnosis, stratification of patient subgroups, and treatment monitoring. In this regard, salivary hormones have been studied as potential markers for different types and etiologies of depression due to the convenience of non-invasive sample collection and their correlation with certain aspects of mood and mental health. The literature suggests they can help clinicians assess an individual’s stress response, hormonal imbalances, and treatment response, leading to more personalized and effective interventions. In this review, we offer an up-to-date look at all studied salivary hormones associated with depression, including Cortisol, Melatonin, Oxytocin, Serotonin, Dehydroepiandrosterone, Testosterone, Progesterone, and Estradiol.
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spelling doaj-art-abbee63c0f89430fad34bca59675938b2025-08-20T02:15:17ZengBMCAnnals of General Psychiatry1744-859X2025-02-0124111110.1186/s12991-025-00548-ySalivary hormones in depression: the future in diagnosis and treatmentStefan Harsanyi0Ida Kupcova1Maria Csobonyeiova2Martin Klein3Institute of Medical Biology, Genetics and Clinical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University in BratislavaInstitute of Medical Biology, Genetics and Clinical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University in BratislavaInstitute of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University in BratislavaInstitute of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University in BratislavaAbstract Depression is associated with a significant burden on individuals, families, and communities. It leads to impaired social and occupational functioning, increased disability, decreased quality of life, and higher mortality rates, often due to suicide. A recent estimate from the World Health Organization (WHO) states that over 280 million people of all ages suffer from depression, which equals approximately 3.8% of the world population. Despite effective treatments for mental disorders, a dire treatment gap persists. This treatment gap could be reduced by effective and available diagnostic methods that have the potential to aid in depression diagnosis, stratification of patient subgroups, and treatment monitoring. In this regard, salivary hormones have been studied as potential markers for different types and etiologies of depression due to the convenience of non-invasive sample collection and their correlation with certain aspects of mood and mental health. The literature suggests they can help clinicians assess an individual’s stress response, hormonal imbalances, and treatment response, leading to more personalized and effective interventions. In this review, we offer an up-to-date look at all studied salivary hormones associated with depression, including Cortisol, Melatonin, Oxytocin, Serotonin, Dehydroepiandrosterone, Testosterone, Progesterone, and Estradiol.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12991-025-00548-yDepressionSalivaryBiomarkersCortisolMelatoninOxytocin
spellingShingle Stefan Harsanyi
Ida Kupcova
Maria Csobonyeiova
Martin Klein
Salivary hormones in depression: the future in diagnosis and treatment
Annals of General Psychiatry
Depression
Salivary
Biomarkers
Cortisol
Melatonin
Oxytocin
title Salivary hormones in depression: the future in diagnosis and treatment
title_full Salivary hormones in depression: the future in diagnosis and treatment
title_fullStr Salivary hormones in depression: the future in diagnosis and treatment
title_full_unstemmed Salivary hormones in depression: the future in diagnosis and treatment
title_short Salivary hormones in depression: the future in diagnosis and treatment
title_sort salivary hormones in depression the future in diagnosis and treatment
topic Depression
Salivary
Biomarkers
Cortisol
Melatonin
Oxytocin
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s12991-025-00548-y
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AT mariacsobonyeiova salivaryhormonesindepressionthefutureindiagnosisandtreatment
AT martinklein salivaryhormonesindepressionthefutureindiagnosisandtreatment