A new study examines the potential mental health impacts of contraceptive pills, particularly among teenage users.
Analyzing data from the UK Biobank, researchers found that teens initiating contraceptive pill use had a 130% higher incidence of depression symptoms. Even after stopping the pill for teenage users, the elevated risk persisted despite a decrease in incidence over the first two years.
This key finding urges increased awareness among healthcare professionals about this potential side effect.
Globally, depression is the leading cause of ill health and disability [1]. More than 264 million people are affected and at least 25% of all women and 15% of all men experience depression that requires treatment at some point during their life.
The possibility that contraceptive pills might negatively affect mental health and even lead to depression has long been discussed. While many women stop using contraceptive pills because of their impact on mood, researchers have not been able to provide a clear picture until now.
This study is one of the largest and widest-ranging to date, following more than a quarter of a million women from UK Biobank from birth to menopause. Women’s use of contraceptive pills, their first depression diagnosis, and their first symptoms of depression without a diagnosis were collected by the researchers.
The method of contraception studied was combined contraceptive pills containing progestogen, a compound resembling the hormone progesterone, and estrogen. Progestogen prevents ovulation and thickens the cervical mucus to prevent sperms from entering the uterus, while estrogen thins the uterine lining to hinder the implantation of a fertilized egg.
“Although contraception has many advantages for women, both medical practitioners and patients should be informed about the side-effects identified in this and previous research,” says Therese Johansson of the Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology at Uppsala University, one of the researchers leading the study [2].
According to the study, women who began to use contraceptive pills as teenagers had a 130% higher incidence of symptoms of depression. In comparison, the corresponding increase among adult users was 92%.
“The powerful influence of contraceptive pills on teenagers can be ascribed to the hormonal changes caused by puberty. As women in that age group have already experienced substantial hormonal changes, they can be more receptive not only to hormonal changes but also to other life experiences,” Johansson says.
The researchers also saw that the increased incidence of depression declined when the women continued to use contraceptive pills after the first two years. However, teenage users of contraceptive pills still had an increased incidence of depression even after stopping using the pill, which was not observed in adult users of contraceptive pills [3].
Many women tolerate external hormones well without experiencing negative effects on their mood, so combined contraceptive pills are an excellent option.
Contraceptive pills enable women to avoid unplanned pregnancies and prevent illnesses that affect women, including ovarian and uterine cancer. However, certain women may have an increased risk of depression after starting to use contraceptive pills.”
The findings of the study point to a need for healthcare professionals to be more aware of possible links between different systems in the body, such as depression and the use of contraceptive pills.
The researchers conclude that it is crucial for care providers to inform women considering contraceptive pills of the potential risk of depression as a side-effect of the medicine. “Since we only investigated combined contraceptive pills in this study, we cannot conclude other contraceptive options, such as mini pills, contraceptive patches, hormonal spirals, vaginal rings or contraceptive rods.
In a future study, we plan to examine different formulations and administration methods. “Our ambition in comparing different contraceptive methods is to give women even more information to help them take well-informed decisions about their contraceptive options,” Johansson says [4].
[1] https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/depression
[2] https://uu.se/
[3] https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/epidemiology-and-psychiatric-sciences/article/populationbased-cohort-study-of-oral-contraceptive-use-and-risk-of-depression/B3C611DD318D7DC536B4BD439343A5BD
[4] https://neurosciencenews.com/depression-contraceptive-pills-23451/
