Taking the pill as a teenager may have long-lasting effect on depression risk

Research has yielded mixed findings about the relationship between hormonal contraceptive use and depression. The largest study to date on this topic — which included over one million women living in Denmark — concluded that women who are using the pill or other hormonal contraceptives are at an increased risk for depression. The study also showed that this relationship was strongest in teenaged women. A new study from UBC goes beyond this by examining whether contraceptive pill use might not only predict depression risk in the short term but also in the long term.

These latest findings suggest that the use of oral contraceptives during the teenage years can have an enduring effect on a woman’s risk for depression, even years after she ceases using them. It's important to note that this is only a correlation and that using the pill doesn't actually cause increased depression.

The researchers hope their research will promote more informed dialogue and decision-making about the prescription of different methods of birth control for teenaged women.

Source: https://theconversation.com/ta...pression-risk-121786