Uh… actually, some pheromones do have antidepressant and mood lifting effects. Studies have shown both Androstadienone and alpha-Androstenol have this effect.
I found all the following and many more studies on Medline. The studies are double blind and controlled to weed out social factors and placebo effect.
I tried to place hyperlinks to the actual studies, but you’ll need a log-in for Medline. I think Medline searches are still free, but they do require registration.
If you want I can post the abstracts to the Studies and Abstracts area of the forum for you.
The pheromone androstenol (5 alpha-androst-16-en-3 alpha-ol) is a neurosteroid positive modulator of GABAA receptors.
J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 2006; 317(2):694-703 (ISSN: 0022-3565)
The effects of the steroid androstadienone and pleasant odorants on the mood and pain perception of men and women.
Eur J Pain. 2007; 11(2):181-91 (ISSN: 1090-3801)
Psychological effects of musky compounds: comparison of androstadienone with androstenol and muscone.
Horm Behav. 2002; 42(3):274-83 (ISSN: 0018-506X)
Behavioral and electrophysiological effects of androstadienone, a human pheromone.
Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2000; 25(3):289-99 (ISSN: 0306-4530)
Subthreshold amounts of social odorant affect mood, but not behavior, in heterosexual women when tested by a male, but not a female, experimenter.
Biol Psychol. 2005; 70(3):197-204 (ISSN: 0301-0511)
Psychological effects of subthreshold exposure to the putative human pheromone 4,16-androstadien-3-one.
Horm Behav. 2003; 44(5):395-401 (ISSN: 0018-506X)
Psychological state and mood effects of steroidal chemosignals in women and men.
Horm Behav. 2000; 37(1):57-78 (ISSN: 0018-506X)
Sustained human chemosignal unconsciously alters brain function.
Neuroreport. 2001; 12(11):2391-4 (ISSN: 0959-4965)
and
**Volatile human steroids: What they do and don't do
**-----------------------------------
etc… ad nauseum.
Diane