New Study: Birth Control Pills May Affect Women’s Mental Well-Being

Access to birth control pills during adolescence may be linked to an increased risk of depression later in life, particularly among women who are genetically predisposed to mental illness. These are the findings of a new study from the University of Copenhagen.

The oral contraceptive pill has been celebrated as one of the twentieth century’s most transformative health innovations, providing women with reproductive control and enabling access to education and careers. However, the new research suggests that the freedom it brought may also have come with a previously overlooked cost related to mental health.

“The pill has had enormous societal impact and has strengthened women’s ability to participate in the workforce. But we have overlooked the fact that this form of contraception may also negatively affect users’ mental health, and that matters for how we understand its overall impact,” says Franziska Valder, Assistant Professor at the Department of Economics and CEBI, who conducted the study.

The research builds on earlier findings from the University of Copenhagen that identified links between hormonal contraception and mental health issues.

According to the study, genetic vulnerability plays an important role. By combining data on legislation, genetic risk profiles and life-course information for thousands of American women, the research shows that those with a high genetic risk of depression experience significantly worse mental health if they had access to the pill as teenagers.

“It is not all women who are affected. But for those with a genetic vulnerability, we see that the pill may act as a trigger for mental illness,” says Franziska Valder.

The study further indicates that negative mental-health effects may offset some of the pill’s positive effects on education and labour-market outcomes. “Women with a high depression risk complete fewer years of education, have lower labour productivity and report more sick days and functional limitations when they have access to the pill,” Valder explains.

She emphasises that the results should not be seen as an argument against the pill, but rather as a contribution to a more nuanced discussion about contraception and health. “This is not about taking the pill away from anyone. It is about recognising that side effects may exist and that we should consider them, especially for people with a high risk of mental illness,” she says.

Valder calls for more research into non-hormonal alternatives and better screening for mental-health vulnerability.

The study, published in the Journal of Labor Economics, appears at a time when access to abortion has been restricted in the United States and debates on contraception and women’s health are increasingly prominent.