Teen OC Users More Likely to Report Depressive Symptoms

By Amy Orciari Herman

Edited by Susan Sadoughi, MD, and Richard Saitz, MD, MPH, FACP, DFASAM

Teens who use oral contraceptives report more depressive symptoms than those who don't use OCs, although such symptoms seem to abate by adulthood, according to a study in JAMA Psychiatry.

Some 1000 females in the Netherlands answered questions about OC use and depressive symptoms roughly three times between ages 16 and 25 years. Overall, OC use was not associated with depressive symptom scores. However, when examined by age group, girls who reported OC use at age 16 had significantly higher concurrent depression scores than those who didn't use OCs. In particular, they were more likely to report crying, eating difficulties, and hypersomnia; of note, they were not more likely to report sadness or anhedonia.

The researchers write: "Monitoring depressive symptoms in adolescents who are using oral contraceptives is important, as the use of oral contraceptives may affect their quality of life and put them at risk for nonadherence." They caution, however, that "use of observational data precludes any causal inference" from their study.