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The Oral Contraceptive Pill and Adolescents' Mental Health

Author

Listed:
  • Costa-Ramón, Ana

    (University of Zurich)

  • Daysal, N. Meltem

    (University of Copenhagen)

  • Rodríguez-González, Ana

    (Lund University)

Abstract

What is the impact of the oral contraceptive pill on the mental health of adolescent girls? Using administrative data from Denmark and exploiting the variation in the timing of pill initiation in an event study design, we find that the likelihood of a depression diagnosis and antidepressant use increases shortly after pill initiation. We then uncover substantial variation in primary care providers' tendency to prescribe the pill to adolescents, unrelated to patient characteristics. Being assigned to a high prescribing physician strongly predicts pill use by age 16 and leads to worse mental health outcomes between ages 16-18.

Suggested Citation

  • Costa-Ramón, Ana & Daysal, N. Meltem & Rodríguez-González, Ana, 2023. "The Oral Contraceptive Pill and Adolescents' Mental Health," IZA Discussion Papers 16288, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp16288
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Emily Cuddy & Janet Currie, 2020. "Rules vs. Discretion: Treatment of Mental Illness in U.S. Adolescents," NBER Working Papers 27890, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Anna Chorniy & Janet Currie & Lyudmyla Sonchak, 2020. "Does Prenatal WIC Participation Improve Child Outcomes?," American Journal of Health Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 6(2), pages 169-198.
    3. Franziska Valder, 2022. "Two sides of the same pill? Fertility control and mental health effects of the contraceptive pill," CEBI working paper series 22-03, University of Copenhagen. Department of Economics. The Center for Economic Behavior and Inequality (CEBI).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    contraceptive pill; mental health; adolescents; prescribing practices;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth

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