Does Birth Control Cause Depression?

New York Times (Apr. 4, 2017): Does Birth Control Cause Depression? by Aaron E. Carroll: 

A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Psychiatry suggests that hormonal contraceptive use may trigger depression.  The study examined all women and adolescent females in Denmark from 2000 through 2014.  It found that those who used hormonal contraceptives "had significantly higher risks of also taking an antidepressant."  The risks were higher in adolescents than in women and decreased as the subjects aged.  

Placed in the context of other studies that have examined hormonal contraceptive use, the study comes up short.  It's not a controlled trial and does not even remotely establish causation.  It is also easy to criticize it on the basis that "anti-depressant use isn't the best measure of new-onset depression."

Data from other studies appear to contradict the JAMA study: "the data that do exist show that most women don't show any effect from hormonal birth control, or actually had their mood improve.   Moreover, "women who have underlying mood disorders were more predisposed to have mood-related side effects."  The JAMA introduces intriguing and "newsy" findings into the mix, but is by no means the last word on the subject.  The topic of hormonal birth control and mood is best explored in the context of the patient-physician relationship.  When viewed up against the fact that birth control is "[o]ne of the biggest American victories of the last decade," the fact that it may contribute to depression may be a risk worth taking.