New research suggests a potential link between anxiety and contraceptive pill use, with effects potentially lingering even after discontinuation. A study conducted at the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) explored this connection in a laboratory setting, revealing differences in fear responses between women who currently use, previously used, or have never used oral contraceptives.
It’s important to emphasize that the study demonstrates correlations, not causation, according to Lisa-Marie Davignon, a doctoral student in psychology and the study’s lead author. “I am cautious because I don’t want to unnecessarily worry people,” Davignon stated. “I think it’s a topic worth discussing and one that raises awareness about women’s health, but my goal isn’t to alarm anyone, just to open up the conversation.”
Women are statistically more likely than men to experience anxiety disorders. Existing research indicates that sex hormones may play a role in the development of anxiety. Davignon’s study aimed to investigate whether the hormones contained in contraceptive pills could influence fear, a core component of anxiety.
The experiment involved exposing participants to images of an office and a library. In one setting, participants received mild electric shocks repeatedly. “After a certain amount of time, the women learned to fear that context because they anticipated receiving an electric shock. Simultaneously, there was a second context that was never paired with a shock, which was therefore a safe context,” Davignon explained.
The following day, participants were re-exposed to both settings. As expected, everyone exhibited fear in the context associated with the shocks. However, responses differed in the safe context depending on contraceptive use. Women who currently take the pill, and even those who had stopped taking it more than a year prior, showed heightened fear responses in the safe context compared to women who had never used oral contraceptives.
To measure fear, researchers utilized functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to record brain activity throughout the experiment. The results showed interesting activity within the hippocampus, a small region of the brain crucial for memory “and known in the scientific literature to be one of the brain regions most sensitive to the effect of hormones.”
“We noticed that this region was more activated in women who had never taken the pill in their lives,” Davignon indicated. “As a potential explanation, but this remains to be explored, perhaps this increased activation in girls who haven’t taken the pill may have been favorable to them.”
Participants also wore sensors in the palms of their hands to measure perspiration, an indicator of nervous system activation. “Still within the safe context, women who had stopped the pill for a long time had fear responses as high as women who were still taking the pill,” Davignon noted.
The study included 147 participants divided into four groups: women currently taking the pill; women who had stopped using the pill more than a year ago; women who had never taken the pill; and men. This sample size is standard for this type of research, given the need for participants to be in excellent physical and psychological health and the cost of data collection protocols.
The findings support the need for further research to better understand the effects of hormonal contraception on mental health. “We know that women have historically been largely understudied compared to men. It’s still aberrant, in my opinion, that 65 years after the commercialization of the first pills, we are beginning to realize that there may be potential correlations with mental health,” Davignon stated. The next step would be to conduct randomized controlled trials.
The observed correlations raise important questions about the complex interplay between hormonal birth control and mental wellbeing. While the study does not establish a causal link, it highlights the need for open discussion between patients and healthcare providers regarding potential mental health impacts of contraceptive choices. It also underscores the importance of continued research into the effects of hormonal contraception, particularly given that women have historically been underrepresented in medical studies.
Further investigation is needed to determine the underlying mechanisms driving these observed correlations. Understanding how hormonal contraception might influence brain activity and fear responses could lead to more informed contraceptive counseling and potentially, personalized approaches to managing mental health in women using hormonal birth control.
It’s crucial to remember that anxiety disorders are complex, and multifactorial. Many factors contribute to the development of anxiety, and hormonal contraception is likely just one piece of the puzzle. Individuals experiencing anxiety should consult with a healthcare professional for a comprehensive evaluation and appropriate treatment plan.
