Anabolic steroids and dependence.

This paper examines the difficulties of applying the construct "dependence" to anabolic steroids (AS) use. It argues that although there is clinical evidence for AS dependence, there are uncertainties related to the requirement of psychoactivity, the mechanism of dependence, and the distinctive practices of AS use. The paper suggests that these ambiguities are due as much to features of the concept of dependence as to lack of understanding of AS and their effects. In particular, it focuses on the tension between the emphasis on an individual's behavior and symptoms as the defining features of dependence and the requirement that these symptoms be caused by a certain type of substance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]