An Investigation of Mood States in Women Taking Oral Contraceptives

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Longitudinal studies with psychological interviews and tests were performed to investigate emotional changes in 72 women (under age 35) taking oral contraceptives. The analysis was based on patients at the Boston Lying-In Hospital (BLI, 28) and at the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital (PBBH, 44). Most women at BLI had 5 or more children; most at PBBH had 1 or more children. 79% of the BLI sample were 26 or older; 61% of the PBBH sample were 25 or under. The former hospital administered Enovid (5 mg) or Enovid-E (2.5 mg); the latter hospital administered Enovid-E (2.5 mg or 5 mg). After preliminary examination of results, it was considered justifiable to analyze the data for both groups together. During therapy the patients as a group perceived themselves as in nondepressive states. Psychiatrists detected depression in some patients, but too infrequently to change the mean depression scores. Most instances of depression were linked to the disillusionment of women expecting unreasonable benefits, such as cure of frigidity or end of marital conflict, with pill use. Religion, amount of education, and number of children had no observable effect on the depression scores. No evidence for depression arising from religion-related guilt in Catholic women was found. Sedative-like effects, which occurred in a few patients, need further investigation. 5 case histories are detailed.