What does this rating mean?
Oestrogen (also called 'estrogen') and progesterone are hormones that are important for sexual and reproductive development in women. Oestrogen and progesterone help to regulate a woman’s menstrual cycle and play an important role in pregnancy. While they are often thought of as ‘female hormones’, oestrogen and progesterone are also found in men.
Oestrogen and progesterone are used in several medical treatments for conditions other than depression. When used as treatments, these hormones are usually taken as a tablet. They can also be given in a skin patch, as a cream or gel, injected or implanted just under the skin, and as a suppository. Oestrogen and progesterone can be given together or separately. They are generally only prescribed to women.
The amount of oestrogen and progesterone in a woman's body varies over her lifetime. Women have lower levels of these hormones in their body at certain times:
Depression symptoms can also arise during these times. For example, post-partum depression is a type of depression that occurs after a woman has given birth, and premenstrual syndrome (PMS) can cause symptoms of depression. It is thought that raising the levels of oestrogen and progesterone during these times might improve mood.
Oestrogen supplements may also be able to increase the amount of the chemical messenger serotonin in the brain. Low levels of serotonin are linked to depression.
There is mixed evidence as to whether oestrogen is effective at reducing depressing around menopause. More studies are needed to confirm the effectiveness of oestrogen in these situations.
Two studies found that oestrogen patches reduced depression symptoms in perimenopausal women (women who were about to go through menopause) who were diagnosed with depression. However, a review of 10 studies found that oestrogen was not clearly linked to a reduction in depression symptoms in women around the time of menopause. In some of these studies, the treatment combined both oestrogen and progesterone.
There is not much evidence to suggest that oestrogen can be used to treat depression in postmenopausal women (women who have finished going through menopause).
Two studies have looked at the effects of a progesterone skin cream for women who had menopausal symptoms, including depression. The progesterone cream was not more effective than a placebo (dummy) cream in reducing depression symptoms.
There is very little scientific evidence on oestrogen for the treatment of women experiencing postpartum depression (depression which occurs after having a baby). One study found that postpartum women treated with oestrogen had a greater reduction in depression symptoms compared to women treated with a placebo. However, many women who were treated with oestrogen still met the criteria for depression. More studies of better quality are needed to understand the effectiveness of oestrogen in treating depression after childbirth.
Synthetic progesterone is not recommended as a treatment for post-partum depression, and studies have found that it can actually increase the risk of depression during this time.
Depression can be a symptom of premenstrual syndrome (PMS), which affects some women during their menstrual cycle. Oral contraceptive pills which combine both oestrogen and progesterone have been studied as a treatment for PMS. A pill containing a certain type of progestin (drospirenone) and a low dose of oestrogen has been found to reduce symptoms of PMS better than a placebo (dummy) pill.
There is currently no evidence to suggest that oestrogen or progesterone are helpful for people who have depression which is not linked to natural hormonal changes.
Hormone therapies can cause side effects. For example, common side effects of the oral contraceptive pill include nausea, breast pain and bleeding between periods. Hormone therapy may not be suitable for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, or who are trying to get pregnant. Any hormone therapies should be taken under the supervision of a health care professional.
Most hormone therapies are prescribed by a doctor.
There is some evidence to suggest that oestrogen and progesterone may be helpful for depression symptoms which are linked to hormonal changes in women. However, these treatments are not well researched and are not recommended as a first choice of treatment. More studies of better quality are needed.
There is currently no evidence to suggest that oestrogen or progesterone are helpful for people who have depression which is not linked to natural hormonal changes.
Last reviewed and updated: 24 April 2023
These treatments are very useful. They are strongly supported as effective by scientific evidence.
These treatments are useful. They are supported by scientific evidence as effective, but the evidence is not as strong.
These treatments are promising and may be useful. They have some evidence to support them, but more evidence is needed to be sure they work.
