Biology 1610 (Tuesday)
Dr. Michaela A. Gazdik Stofer
February 5, 2017
In the United States depression is ranked as the most common mental health disorder with over 16 million adults experiencing at least one episode of clinical depression in 2015, according to the National Institutes of Health. Depression is a very complex disease with many causes and even more treatment options. In modern medicine it is considered to be an individualized disease meaning that all factors of an individual's life must be taken into account to properly aid in the treatment of their depression and what works for one person may not work for another. Although we have all heard the behavioral traits and practices that cause depression, there are also many medical conditions that a person could be under that could affect their mental health such as improper medication use or using a medication that lists depressive thinking as a side affect.
One medication that is currently under investigation for causing depression is contraceptives. Contraceptives, also known as birth control, are a widely used tool by almost all women in the United States at some point in their lives. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, between 2011 and 2013, almost 62% of women between the ages of 15 and 44 were using some type of contraception. In recent times they have been put under investigation for causing depression because of the idea that they cause severe mood swings, which women have been reporting as a side affect for years.
The 14-year study, that was published in the Journal of American Medical Association Psychiatry, took place in Denmark beginning in the year 2000. Scientists took over one million females between the ages of 15-34 and grouped them by the type of contraception method they were taking (the variable group). They were tracked through time with the scientists specifically looking for the first time these individuals were diagnosed with depression or prescribed anti-depressants after beginning some type of contraceptive method. Their results were then compared to a group that had never used contraceptives before (the constant group). All applicants who had previously been diagnosed with depression or had used anti-depressants were excluded from the study.
The results that the study achieved were based on the increased risk of depression the contraceptive users faced COMPARED to those of the individuals that were under no form of birth control. The results that came from the study were as followed: Combined estrogen and progesterone pill users had an increased risk of 3%, progesterone only method (the mini pill) had an increase of 34%, IUD (intra-uterine) devices had an increase of 40%, the vaginal ring increased the risk for depression by 60% and the patch had a 200% increase. They also discovered that the most vulnerable group to the mood swings and depressive thinking were adolescents who had an increase of being diagnosed with depression of 80% on the combined pill and 120% with the progesterone only pill.
As someone who suffers from clinical depression, uses birth control daily, and is majoring in human health education, this study was extremely interesting to explore and investigate. I think that it did a great job at letting the readers, as well as myself, explore both the factual evidence and the personal risks and complications. It was very helpful information and it gave me the chance to explore my own methods of contraceptives as well as pass the information along to other people who needed it.
Source:
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/birth-control-and-depression-what-you-need-to-know/
http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/article-abstract/2552796
Hi Kylee! I chose to read your post because I have always heard that birth control does has various side effects which is why I have never taken it. I am not too surprised that birth control can increase risk of depression. I did some of my own research was I was younger and ever since then I have been completely against the use of birth control unless it is absolutely necessary that a woman needs it. I enjoyed reading your topic! AL
ReplyDeleteThank you for posting this! I found it interesting to read, since I have three sisters who have been diagnosed with depression. Two of them have been told that they will be on their medications for life because of the severity of their cases. Although they were diagnosed technically with postpartum depression, they used some of the methods you listed above before and in between pregnancies. It is interesting to me to see connections to these kinds of studies, as well as results developed from the findings. I hope to see more on this at some point, that a way to reverse the side effects caused from using birth control to help you and my sisters feel more like themselves again. JR
ReplyDeleteFrom my understanding an intrauterine device (IUD) is suppose to have less side effects because the hormones are localized to your uterus. As where the an oral contraceptives hormones are dispersed through your entire body. I wonder why an IUD had such a higher risk rate of depression? AN
ReplyDeleteI was wondering the same thing. I did some research and found some information that might lead to an idea to answer your question. Depression can be caused by the sudden change of the serum levels of certain hormones in the body. One of those certain hormones is called Levonorgestrel. This hormone just so happens to be one of the main ingredients in the very popular IUD Mirena. This could be a reason why we see such a high level of depression from the IUD. Perhaps, they should try to find a replacement for this hormone in the IUD. HR
DeleteFrom reading your blog I can definite see the evidence that birth control can cause an increase in depression and mood swings. Also it states this is due to the correlation of increased estrogen from the birth control itself. So my question is, are medical researchers trying to battle this problem and find a different way create birth control that would eliminate the problem of increased depression, or is this even possible? HR
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DeleteHi! From all of the research that I did on this topic and the research that I put into the topic when I was in the process of deciding which contraceptive method to use I could see that the focus of their questions was put on the individuals instead of the medicines themselves. For example, physicians would look at the individual and their personal characteristics to decide what type of medication they should be on and how high of a dosage they should be prescribed instead of of taking a look at the chemical makeup of the contraceptives themselves. I do wish that health officials would place a larger focus on adjusting the chemical makeup and I will continue to keep an eye on the advancements that come forward in the world of birth control options. I hope that this somewhat answered your questions. KT
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