That’s how much the risk of depression increases when you take birth control pills

Does the contraceptive pill cause depression?

Science has long been concerned with this question. Some clinical studies have suggested a link, but the evidence is so far insufficient.

One of the largest and most comprehensive studies with a quarter of a million women studied is now making people sit up and pay attention: The study shows that there is a risk of depression of up to 130 percent when taking the contraceptive pill in young people.

The main findings of the study:

Researchers from the University of Cambridge in the UK examined data from the UK Biobank (a large biomedical database containing detailed health information) on more than 264,000 women aged 37 to 71. 80 percent of these women have taken birth control pills at least once in their lives.

Using questionnaires, interviews, physical health measurements and biological samples, the research team found that there is an increased risk of depression when taking birth control pills, especially in young women.

Specifically, the study found a 130 percent increase in the incidence of depressive symptoms in women who started taking the birth control pill at a young age, while the increase in adult women was 92 percent lower.

Doctor Ryan Sultan, who was not involved in the study, told Medical News Today:

The study also looked at whether the depressed mood persisted after stopping the pill. The result: An increased risk remained in young users, and no increased risk was found in adult users two years after stopping the drug.

Despite these findings, the majority of women tolerate hormonal contraceptives well. Still, study leader Therese Johansson says, “While contraception has many benefits for women, both physicians and patients should be informed about the side effects identified in this and previous research.”

(cst)