This Just In

A roundup of new and noteworthy insights from the week’s most talked-about studies:

1 BIRTH CONTROL MAY BE LINKED TO DEPRESSION

A study in JAMA Psychiatry found that women using hormonal birth control had an increased risk of receiving treatment for depression. Those on progestin-only pills or IUDs were 34% and 40% more likely, respectively, to begin using antidepressants than women not on birth control.

2 HUMAN LIFE SPAN MIGHT BE CAPPED

A study in Nature suggests that the oldest ages reported each year will continue to hover around 115 years and that it may not be possible for anyone to live past 125, because of the wide range of genetic processes that lead to decline.

3 PARENTING IS MORE STRESSFUL FOR MOMS THAN DADS

A study in American Sociological Review found that moms were more stressed, fatigued and unhappy than dads during time with children, likely because that time included more chores and management activities (vs. dads, who had more “fun”).

–J.Z.