Psychiatric Symptoms During the Post-partum Period as Related to Use of Oral Contraceptives

Abstract

In a prospective psychiatric and psychological investigation of 165 women during pregnancy and the post-partum period it has been possible to compare 54 women who were prescribed oral contraceptives during the post-partum period with 104 women who used other contraceptive methods. There were no differences between the two groups in respect of psychiatric symptoms and psychological or social factors before medication—that is, before and during pregnancy. During the post-partum period a significantly higher frequency of psychiatric symptoms was found in the oral contraceptive group as regards both the total number of psychiatric symptoms and individual symptoms of a neurasthenic and depressive nature. These side-effects may be causally related to the tablet medication and can presumably be ascribed to hormonal factors. © 1968, British Medical Journal Publishing Group. All rights reserved.