Review, 2025
Does hormonal birth control affect mood and depression?
Some types of hormonal birth control increase depression risk for some women, while others may actually decrease it. Age when you start and your mental health history are important factors in whether birth control will affect your mood.
What they did
Reviewed research on how different types of hormonal contraceptives affect mood, depression, and premenstrual disorders in women.
What they found
Some hormonal contraceptives increase depression risk in some women, while others may decrease it. Age at onset and mental health history predict who is at higher risk. Hormonal contraceptives may be helpful for women whose depression changes across their menstrual cycle, suggesting a premenstrual disorder.
What it means for you
Effects vary significantly by person and type of contraceptive. Your age and mental health history matter. Talk to your doctor about your mood symptoms when choosing birth control. More research is needed to understand exactly how different contraceptives affect different women.
About the study
- Original title
- Hormonal Contraceptive Use and Affective Disorders: An Updated Review
- Authors
- Mengelkoch S, Afshar K, Slavich GM
- Journal
- Open access journal of contraception
- Year
- 2025
- Study design
- Review
- What was tested
- Various hormonal contraceptive methods
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.2147/oajc.s431365
Topics
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