The article is aimed at presentation of the current knowledge on adverse effects related to the mental status, which can occur while hormonal contraceptives are used.
In the light of casuistic studies, hormonal contraceptives may induce depressive, sexual, and sporadically – anxiety disorders. However, the results of sparse contemporary studies are still ambiguous. Some articles indicate that depression episodes and decreased libido are more prevalent among contraception users than in general population, which is one of the important reasons for giving this method up. Some studies did not show any differences from the results of control groups, or in mood changes between the status before the method was included and while it was used. A higher risk of the depression syndrome during contraception refers to the women with depression revealed in anamnesis, with current single depression symptoms, or those who in their families have women suffering from depression due to contraceptives. According to the data from a comprehensive epidemiological study, the suicidal risk rate in women, who have ever used hormonal contraceptives reaches 1.5. Hormonal contraception was considered to possibly increase the borderline personality traits. The basis of reported complications has not been known as yet, therefore hypothetically it can be conditioned both endocrinologically and psychologically. However, a vast majority of women using hormonal contraception do not feel any changes in mood or libido, whereas a certain group may even benefit from it, owing to alleviated symptoms of premenstrual tension and premenstrual deterioration of psychotic disorders.