Hormonal birth control does not increase women’s risk of depression, new research suggests.
Contrary to popular belief, contraceptive pills, implants or injections do not make women more likely to suffer from the mental-health condition, a study found today.
Lead author Dr Brett Worly from Ohio State University, said: ‘Depression is a concern for a lot of women when they’re starting hormonal contraception.
‘Based on our findings, this side effect shouldn’t be a concern for most women, and they should feel comfortable knowing they’re making a safe choice.’
Although depression is a recognised side effect of birth control, the researchers warn the extent of the complication is often exaggerated and women should not assume they were develop the mental-health disorder if they take the pill.
Most women have tried at least one hormonal contraceptive in their lives. In the US, nearly 37 percent of women are currently using birth control.
Around seven percent of adults in the US suffer from depression every year.
Hormonal birth control does not increase women’s risk of depression, study suggests (stock)
‘The biggest misconception is that birth control leads to depression’
The researchers blame platforms such as social media for making contraception complications seem more common than they are.
Dr Worly said: ‘We live in a media-savvy age where if one or a few people have severe side effects, all of a sudden, that gets amplified to every single person.
‘The biggest misconception is that birth control leads to depression. For most patients that’s just not the case.’
The scientists add, however, certain women are at a greater risk of the mental-health disorder and should be monitored closely.
Dr Worly said: ‘Adolescents will sometimes have a higher risk of depression, not necessarily because of the medicine they’re taking, but because they have that risk to start with.
‘For those patients, it’s important that they have a good relationship with their healthcare provider so they can get the appropriate screening done – regardless of the medications they’re on.’
How the research was carried out
The researchers reviewed thousands of studies investigating the link between contraceptives and mental health.
Such studies included various methods of contraception, including injections, implants and pills.
Participants in the trials were made up of teenagers, women with a history of depression and those who had given birth in the past six weeks.
Eating fruits and vegetables slashes people’s risk of depression by more than 10% (stock)
Eating vegetables slashes the risk of depression by more than 10%
This comes after research released earlier this month suggested eating fruits, vegetables and whole grains slashes people’s risk of depression by more than 10 percent.
Following the so-called ‘DASH diet’ reduces people’s likelihood of developing the mental-health disorder by up to 11 percent, a study found.
The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) way of eating is rich in fruits, vegetables, nuts, lean meat, whole grains and fish.
People who follow a typical Western diet, which is rich in processed foods and sugar, are more at risk of suffering depression, the research adds.
Researchers from Rush University in Chicago add further studies are required to determine the association between diet and mental health, but add simple lifestyle changes may be preferred over medication to control such conditions.
Previous findings suggest eating lots of fresh produce benefits people’s mental health by improving their moods, giving them more energy and helping them to think clearly.