Grant: Project Grant

Young women in Canada often use hormonal contraception (HC), and its popularity is increasing. The use of HC is highly effective in preventing teenage pregnancies and has a number of positive societal and economic consequences. However, HC was originally developed as a medication for adults, and much remains unknown about the potential side effects for teenagers of using HC. For example, because adolescence is a life stage during which major brain development is still ongoing, use of HC during this period could have effects on brain development with long-lasting consequences on young women's mental health. Our proposed research builds upon the growing evidence that relationships may exist between the synthetic hormones that are contained in HC, patterns of brain development, and mental functioning. We will conduct a three-year study of young women aged 13-18, documenting their use of HC during this period along with their stress reactivity, social competence, and depression symptoms. Thus, our study is designed to examine not only whether young women who use HC are at increased risk for developing depression, but also why such a relationship might exist, and which women may be particularly sensitive to such side effects of using HC. Women are approximately twice as likely as men to develop depression in their lives. Depression is a leading cause of years lived with disability and reduced quality of life, unemployment and lost wages, and risk for suicide. We expect that our research will advance scientific understanding about why women might be at particular risk for developing these disorders. We also hope that our research will contribute new data relevant to an important ongoing conversation in the medical community and in the public about the prescription of HC to adolescent women, ultimately promoting more informed dialogue and decision-making.