Effects of Hormonal Contraceptives on Mood: A Focus on Emotion Recognition and Reactivity, Reward Processing, and Stress Response

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Carolin A Lewis, Ann-Christin S Kimmig, Rachel G Zsido, Alexander Jank, Birgit Derntl, Julia Sacher 

Current Psychiatry Reports

November 7, 2019

We provide suggestions on how to address some of the contributing factors to this variability in future studies, such as HC-dose, timing, administration-mode, and individual risk. A better understanding of how and when HCs affect mood is critical to provide adequate contraceptive choices to women worldwide.

Excerpts from Abstract

Purpose of Review

We review recent research investigating the relationship of hormonal contraceptives and mood with a focus on relevant underlying mechanisms, such as emotion recognition and reactivity, reward processing, and stress response.

Recent Findings

Adverse effects of hormonal contraceptives (HCs) on mood seem most consistent in women with a history of depressive symptoms and/or previous negative experience with HC-intake……….

Summary

……We provide suggestions on how to address some of the contributing factors to this variability in future studies, such as HC-dose, timing, administration-mode, and individual risk. A better understanding of how and when HCs affect mood is critical to provide adequate contraceptive choices to women worldwide.

Introduction

With currently more than 100 million users worldwide, hormonal contraceptives (HCs) represent one of the most influential discoveries of the twentieth century……..while substantial research has been dedicated to the physiological consequences of HC-use, such as cardiovascular risk, few studies have investigated the effects of HCs on mood and behavior.

Given that side effects such as depressive symptoms are typically reported as the main reason for discontinuing HC-use and the relative scarcity of neuroimaging studies currently published in this area, additional research efforts to shed light on the neuropsychological side effects of HCs are warranted. With the emerging field of reproductive neuroscience, scientists are beginning to investigate the neural effects of HC-use in humans. A better understanding of how HC-use influences mood may have a critical impact on translational psychiatry, considering that women are approximately twice as likely as men to develop depression and ovarian hormonal fluctuations have been associated with depression susceptibility and prevalence in women. ……Certain women are particularly susceptible to the subtle hormone fluctuations across the menstrual cycle, which may result in the development of premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) ……we review recent research investigating the relationship of HC-use and mood with a focus on relevant underlying mechanisms, such as emotion recognition and reactivity, reward processing, and stress responsivity.

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Current Psychiatry Reports is a bimonthly peer-reviewed medical journal publishing review articles related to psychiatry. It was established in 1999 and is published by Springer Science+Business Media and provides in-depth review articles contributed by international experts on the most significant developments in the field. By presenting clear, insightful, balanced reviews that emphasize recently published papers of major importance, the journal elucidates current and emerging approaches to the diagnosis, treatment, management, and prevention of psychiatric disorders.

References

Papers of particular interest, published recently, have been highlighted as: • Of importance •• Of major importance

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Current Psychiatry Reports

Current Psychiatry Reports is a bimonthly peer-reviewed medical journal publishing review articles related to psychiatry. It was established in 1999 and is published by Springer Science+Business Media and provides in-depth review articles contributed by international experts on the most significant developments in the field. By presenting clear, insightful, balanced reviews that emphasize recently published papers of major importance, the journal elucidates current and emerging approaches to the diagnosis, treatment, management, and prevention of psychiatric disorders.