Combined oral contraceptives and depressive disorders
Sulima A.N., Stroevsky V.V., Rumyantseva Z.S., Bakharovskaya A.S.
In recent years, there has been a growing interest in studying the effects of combined oral contraceptives (COCs) on women’s mental health, particularly on the development of depressive disorders. Research findings suggest that some women taking COCs may experience mood changes, as well as depressive symptoms. The mechanisms underlying this connection may involve hormonal changes that affect neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine, which play a key role in mood regulation. Despite this, research findings are controversial. Some women do not experience any negative effects from taking COCs, and in some cases there is even an improvement in psychoemotional state. This article presents a review of up-to-date Russian and foreign literature available in the following open sources: eLibrary (scientometric database), CyberLeninka (scientific electronic library), PubMed (English-language text database of medical and biological publications).
Conclusion: The relationship between COCs and depressive disorders is complex and requires further research. The above sources demonstrate both positive and negative effects of hormonal contraception on women’s mental health. Therefore, additional research into this issue is necessary.
Authors’ contributions: Sulima A.N., Stroevsky V.V., Rumyantseva Z.S. – developing the concept and design of the study, editing the article; Bakharovskaya A.S.: collecting and processing the material, writing the text.
Conflicts of interest: Authors declare lack of the possible conflicts of interest.
Funding: The study was conducted without sponsorship.
For citation: Sulima A.N., Stroevsky V.V., Rumyantseva Z.S., Bakharovskaya A.S.
Combined oral contraceptives and depressive disorders.
Akusherstvo i Ginekologiya/Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2025; (4): 30-35 (in Russian)
https://dx.doi.org/10.18565/aig.2024.319
Keywords
combined oral contraceptives
depressive disorder
estrogens
progesterone
neurotransmitters
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Received 12.12.2024
Accepted 21.03.2025
About the Authors
Anna N. Sulima, Dr. Med. Sci., Professor, Professor at the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Perinatology No. 1, Medical Institute named after S.I. Georgievsky ofV.I. Vernadsky Crimean Federal University, 295051, Russia, Republic of Crimea, Simferopol, Lenin blvd., 5/7, +7(978)764-82-00, gsulima@yandex.ru,
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2671-6985
Vladimir V. Stroevsky, PhD, Associate Professor at the Department of Psychiatry, Narcology, Psychotherapy with a Course in General and Medical Psychology, Medical Institute named after S.I. Georgievsky of V.I. Vernadsky Crimean Federal University, 295051, Russia, Republic of Crimea, Simferopol, Lenin blvd., 5/7, +7(978)812-65-08, vladimir.stroevskii@mail.ru, https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3028-0598
Zoya S. Rumyantseva, PhD, Associate Professor at the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Perinatology No. 1, Medical Institute named after S.I. Georgievsky of
V.I. Vernadsky Crimean Federal University, 295051, Russia, Republic of Crimea, Simferopol, Lenin blvd., 5/7, +7(978)855-85-37, zoyarum@inbox.ru,
https://orcid.org/0001-0002-5845-588X
Anastasiya S. Bakharovskaya, student at the Department of Psychiatry, Narcology, Psychotherapy with a Course in General and Medical Psychology, Medical Institute named after S.I. Georgievsky of V.I. Vernadsky Crimean Federal University, 295051, Russia, Republic of Crimea, Simferopol, Lenin blvd., 5/7, +7(978)755-00-78, nastyabakharovskaya@gmail.com, https://orcid.org/0009-0002-1489-0289
Corresponding author: Anna N. Sulima, gsulima@yandex.ru
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