Depression and erectile dysfunction.

The association of depression and erectile dysfunction (ED) has been firmly established, but it may be difficult to distinguish between cause and effect--whether ED causes the depression or the depression causes ED--in an individual patient. In most patients who have major depression, successful reversal of the depressive syndrome results in a return of erectile capacity. In other patients--those who suffer from minor depression--restoration of erectile capacity can lead to an improvement in mood. In either case, knowing how to diagnose depression in ED patients is important, not only because depressed patients are more likely to drop out of treatment for ED, but also because untreated depression can be life-threatening.