Actively taking birth control pills may cause depressive mood: Study reveals it may not be immediately obvious

Women take oral contraceptives or birth control pills to prevent accidental pregnancies.

However, these oral contraceptives may also influence moods, potentially making birth control pill users more prone to depression, according to a study published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology. The study delves into how these oral contraceptives impact mental health. Birth control pills essentially control hormones to prevent pregnancy and regulate the menstrual cycle.

Negative impact on mood
The study elaborated on how birth control pills contain ‘synthetic hormones’ where the aim is the to prevent release of the egg from the ovary. The study further highlighted that birth control pills do have some benefits like reducing menstrual cramps and acne breakouts. But this has the potential downside of aggravating the woman’s mood.

The researchers examined 53 women, aged 18-26 who had been using combined oral contraceptives for at least three months. The participants were tested on two phases of their contraceptive cycle: one when they were actively taking hormones (the active phase) and another when they were not (the inactive phase). The tests included a plethora of mood assessment questionnaires that assessed their moods and to see if there’s any pattern.

The results of the study underscored a gap in the assessment of the mood of the women. The self-reported data (when participants give their perspective on their moods rather than scientific observations or deductions) of the women on birth control pills showed high negative feelings like depressive moods. As per the study, according to the self-reported data, the negative mood was more during the inactive phase.

But when the researchers assessed (cognitive assessments through Affect Misattribution Procedure and Emotional Stroop Task) how the women reacted to certain images (sad or angry faces) and words, they revealed that women exhibited more depressive moods when they were on active hormonal pills. This stands especially true for those women who were already exhibiting signs of depression even before taking the pills. However, this may not seem apparent.

But when the researchers assessed (cognitive assessments through Affect Misattribution Procedure and Emotional Stroop Task) how the women reacted to certain images (sad or angry faces) and words, they revealed that women exhibited more depressive moods when they were on active hormonal pills. This stands especially true for those women who were already exhibiting signs of depression even before taking the pills. However, this may not seem apparent.

The birth control pills create hormonal changes which may contribute to shifts in how emotions are processed, but the effect is not the same for everyone.