New Canadian research shows that healthy women who take the contraceptive pill experience a change in the area of the brain that regulates anxiety. Taking the pill can therefore make women more anxious, they conclude. Metro reports this.
The change occurs in the area of the brain where emotions are regulated. Research results show that the regulation of emotions is disrupted by use of the contraceptive pill. Women who take the pill may therefore have more fears than women who do not use this form of contraception. If they stop doing it again, the effect on emotion regulation also disappears. The researchers emphasize that no causal link has been proven, so they also refrain from making any major conclusions about the mental health of women who take the pill.
Psychological effects
Girls and women who start taking the contraceptive pill are often only told that physical side effects may occur, but are often told nothing about the psychological effects, even though they are indeed there. “As such a pill is widely used, it is important that we better understand its short- and long-term effects on brain anatomy and emotion regulation,” said researcher Alexandra Brouillard. That is why she will study the impact of age and duration of pill use on emotion regulation in a follow-up study.
By: National Healthcare Guide / Johanne Levinsky
