Hormonal Hormonal contraceptive use and central serotonergic activation in depression – consequences for treatment outcome

Depression is more common among women than men. This is thought to be partly due to sex hormones influencing neural mechanisms that are also central to the development of depression. Between 60% and 70% of Norwegian women aged 18–30 use hormonal contraception (HC). Studies indicate that young women who use HC have an increased risk of receiving a depression diagnosis, and changes in mood are the main reason why HC is discontinued. The aim is to investigate how HC affects known pathophysiological mechanisms in depression, and how its use influences symptom presentation and treatment outcomes. This will be done by combining electrophysiological markers of serotonergic activation, hormone analyses, clinical assessments, and monitoring of treatment response.