Do hormonal contraceptives increase depression risk? A neuroscientist explains how they affect your mood, for better or worse
More than 85% of women – and more than 300 million people worldwide at any given time – use hormonal contraceptives for at least five years of their life. Although primarily taken for birth control, many people also use hormonal contraceptives to manage a variety of symptoms related to menstruation, from cramps and acne to mood swings.
For up to 10% of women, however, hormone contraceptives can increase their risk of depression. Hormones, including estrogen and progesterone, are crucial for brain health. So, how does modifying hormone levels with hormone contraceptives affect mental health?
I am a researcher studying the neuroscience of stress and emotion-related processes. I also study sex differences in vulnerability and resilience to mental health disorders. Understanding how hormone contraceptives affect mood can help researchers predict who will experience positive or negative effects.
