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Oral Contraception and Serious Psychiatric Illness: Absence of an Association

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2018

M. P. Vessey ,
K. McPherson ,
M. Lawless  and
D. Yeates
M. P. Vessey
Affiliation:
Department of Community Medicine & General Practice, Gibson Laboratories Building, Radcliffe Infirmary, Oxford, OX2 6HE
K. McPherson
Affiliation:
Department of Community Medicine & General Practice, Gibson Laboratories Building, Radcliffe Infirmary, Oxford, OX2 6HE
M. Lawless
Affiliation:
Department of Community Medicine & General Practice, Gibson Laboratories Building, Radcliffe Infirmary, Oxford, OX2 6HE
D. Yeates
Affiliation:
Department of Community Medicine & General Practice, Gibson Laboratories Building, Radcliffe Infirmary, Oxford, OX2 6HE
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Summary

The incidence of serious psychiatric illness, as measured by first referral to hospital for specialist advice and treatment, has been investigated among 16,746 women taking part in the Oxford Family Planning Association contraceptive study. Of these women, 9,504 were recruited while using oral contraceptives, 4,144 while using a diaphragm and 3,098 while using an intrauterine device.

The results are reassuring with respect to oral contraceptive use. First referral rates per 1000 woman-years of observation in the oral contraceptive, diaphragm, and intrauterine device entry groups were 3.0, 2.6, and 2.8 respectively for non-psychotic psychiatric disorders and 0.46, 0.43, and 0.53 respectively for psychotic disorders.

Attempted suicide occurred only 40% as often amongst diaphragm users as amongst users of oral contraceptives or intrauterine devices; this finding presumably reflects the characteristics of women who choose the diaphragm as their birth control method.

Type
Research Article
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 146 , Issue 1 , January 1985 , pp. 45 - 49
Copyright
Copyright © 1985 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

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