--- title: Are women who feel mood changes from birth control pills at higher risk for PMDD and postpartum depression? description: Yes. Women who reported mood problems from the pill were 3.78 times more likely to have PMDD and 1.66 times more likely to have depression after childbirth, t url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/poor-mood-after-oral-contraceptive-use-is-associated-with-increased-2026/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Are women who feel mood changes from birth control pills at higher risk for PMDD and postpartum depression? Survey study, 2026 # Are women who feel mood changes from birth control pills at higher risk for PMDD and postpartum depression? Yes. Women who reported mood problems from the pill were 3.78 times more likely to have PMDD and 1.66 times more likely to have depression after childbirth, though genetic factors and depression history also matter. Moderate study design 3,547 women in Australia taking birth control pills with a history of depression. ## What they did Surveyed 3,547 women in Australia taking birth control pills who have had depression. Researchers examined whether mood problems from the pill were linked to postpartum depression, PMDD, and depression around menopause. ## What they found 38% (1,342 women) reported mood problems from the pill. Women with pill-related mood problems were 3.78 times more likely to have PMDD and 1.66 times more likely to have postpartum depression. They also scored higher on genetic risk for depression. Prior depression and depression before age 20 were also linked to pill-related mood problems. ## What it means for you If you feel your mood worsens on the pill, you may be at higher risk for PMDD and postpartum depression. However, the study cannot prove the pill causes these, only that they are linked. The findings apply to Australian women with a history of depression. 38% reported mood problems from the pill 3.78 times more likely to have PMDD with pill mood problems 1.66 times more likely to have postpartum depression with pill mood problems ## About the study Original title Poor mood after oral contraceptive use is associated with increased vulnerability to peripartum depression, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, and higher genetic risk for depression Authors Kiewa J, Lind PA, Hickie IB et al. Journal Archives of women's mental health Year 2026 Study design Survey study Participants 3,547 What was tested Adverse mood effects from birth control pills Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1007/s00737-026-01708-z](https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-026-01708-z) Original abstract Purpose: This study tested whether adverse mood effect of the oral contraceptive pill (OCP) is associated with reproductive depressive episodes, including peripartum depression (PPD), premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), and perimenopausal depression. Method: In a sample of 3,547 OCP users from the Australian Genetics of Depression Study, who reported a lifetime depression diagnosis, logistic regression was used to test the association of PPD, PMDD, and perimenopausal depression with OCP adverse mood effect. Polygenic scores (PGS) for major depression (MD) were also tested for association with adverse mood effect. Sensitivity analyses tested for modification of these associations by a history of depression prior to first OCP use (prior depression), or by depression onset before the age of twenty (child/teen depression onset). Results: Adverse mood effect was reported by 1,342 OCP users (38%). PPD, PMDD, prior depression and child/teen depression onset were significantly associated with adverse mood effect (PPD: Relative Risk (RR) = 1.66,CI=[1.4-2.0], P = 2.0 × 10 - 6 ; PMDD: RR = 3.78,CI=[2.4-6.0], P = 2.2 × 10 - 8 ; prior depression: RR = 1.32,CI=[1.1-1.5], P = 5.9 × 10 - 4 ; child/teen depression onset: RR = 1.56,CI=[1.3-1.8], P = 1.1 × 10 - 7 ). The association of PPD with adverse mood effect remained significant for women with no prior or child/teen depression onset (RR = 1.77,CI=[1.3-2.4], P = 4.6 × 10 - 4 ), but was not significant for women with both prior and child/teen depression onset. Adverse mood effect was significantly associated with PGS for MD: full sample: RR = 1.18,CI=[1.1-1.3], P = 3.6 × 10 - 5 ); no prior or child/teen depression onset: RR = 1.27,CI=[1.1-1.4], P = 3.1 × 10 - 4 . Conclusions: Participants who experience an adverse mood effect with OCP use are likely to have higher genetic vulnerability for depression, and experience child/teen depression onset, as well as reproductive depressive episodes such as PPD. Reproduced under CC-BY. ## Topics [Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pmdd/)[Reproductive hormone sensitivity](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-hormone-sensitivity/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/)[Oral contraceptives and drospirenone](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-hormonal-contraceptives/)[Major depressive disorder](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-major-depression/)[Perimenopause and menopause](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-perimenopause/)[Work and productivity](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-work/)[Adolescents and young people](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-adolescents/) Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits. Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor. ## Related studies Randomised trial, 2001 Do changing reproductive hormones disrupt the body's internal clock and cause mood disorders? Review, 2026 Do PMDD, postpartum depression and perimenopausal depression have the same genetic causes? Review, 2012 Is depression linked to hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and menopause? Review, 2002 Are women more likely to get depression, especially due to hormonal changes? Systematic review, 2026 Why do some women experience mood changes linked to their menstrual cycle? Systematic review, 2021 Are there hormone changes that could explain PMDD or depression in women? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗