The birth control pill affects everyone differently, so it’s super hard to know what (if any) effect it will have on someone’s mental health. Although it’s very unlikely that the hormones from the pill can trigger mood swings and/or depression, it’s not impossible either. Some research has shown that some young women’s anxiety or depression may worsen on the pill, but other studies actually show the opposite – being on the pill may help some people’s anxiety or depression. Using a pill has the potential to lessen the fluctuation (or changes) in hormones through the menstrual cycle. That is what then leads to lessening mood swings.
However, it’s very important that if you are experiencing more anxiety now than you did before you started the pill that you talk to your health care provider (HCP). If it turns out that the pill is increasing your anxiety, you still have many options! Your HCP can help you in making decisions about next steps. There are many different forms of birth control available and your HCP can help you choose the one that is best for you!
Our health guides are developed through a systematic, rigorous process to ensure accuracy, reliability, and trustworthiness. Written and reviewed by experienced healthcare clinicians from Boston Children's Hospital, a Harvard Medical School teaching hospital and consistently ranked as a top hospital by Newsweek and U.S. News & World Report, these guides combine clinical expertise, specialized knowledge, and evidence-based medicine. We also incorporate research and best practices from authoritative sources such as the CDC, NIH, PubMed, top medical journals, and UpToDate.com. Clinical specialists and subject matter experts review and edit each guide, reinforcing our commitment to high-quality, factual, scientifically accurate health information for young people.