Teens no longer depressed after vitamin D raised to 36 ng – Feb 2012

Depressed adolescents in a case-series were low in vitamin D and depression was ameliorated by vitamin D supplementation

Acta Paediatrica Vol. 101 Issue 3
Göran Högberg 1,2, gor.hogberg at gmail.com
Sven A. Gustafsson 3,
Tore Hällström 4,5,
Tove Gustafsson 6,
Björn Klawitter 2,
Maria Petersson 6
1 Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Unit, Astrid Lindgren Children?s Hospital, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
2 Stockholm Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Stockholm, BUP Huddinge Stockholm,Sweden
3 Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Section of Clinical Chemistry, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
4 Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Section for Psychiatry, Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
5 Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, Section of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Unit for Neuropsychiatric Epidemiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
6 Departement of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Endocrine and Diabetes Unit, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm,Sweden

Aim:? The relationship between depression in adolescents and vitamin D was studied in a case-series which included effects of vitamin D supplementation.

Methods:? Serum 25OH vitamin D (25OHD) levels in 54 Swedish depressed adolescents were investigated.
Subjects with vitamin D deficiency were given vitamin D3 over three months (n=48).

To evaluate well-being and symptoms related to depression and vitamin D status the WHO-5 well-being scale,
The Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (MFQ-S), and a vitamin D deficiency scale were used.

Results:? Mean serum 25OHD in the depressed adolescents was 41 at baseline and 91 nmol/L (p<0.001) after supplementation.

Basal 25OHD levels correlated positively to well-being (p<0.05).

After vitamin D supplementation

• well-being increased (p<0.001)

and there was a significant improvement in seven of the nine items in the vitamin D deficiency scale; in

• depressed feeling (p<0.001),
• irritability (p<0.05), (p<0.001),
• tiredness (p<0.001),
• mood swings (p<0.01),
• sleep difficulties (p<0.01),
• weakness (p<0.05),
• ability to concentrate (p<0.05) and
• pain (p<0.05).

There was a significant amelioration of depression according to the MFQ-S (p<0.05)

Conclusion:? This study showed low levels of vitamin D in 54 depressed adolescents, positive correlation between vitamin D and well-being,
and improved symptoms related to depression and vitamin D deficiency after vitamin D supplementation.

© 2012 The Author(s)/Acta Pædiatrica © 2012 Foundation Acta Pædiatrica
PDF is attached at the bottom of this page

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89% of the depressed teens in the study were actually vitamin D deficient ( 48 / 54)
Before = 16 nanograms
4,000 IU vitamin D daily for 1 month, then 2,000 IU daily for next 2 months (update by author Feb 29, 2012)
After = 36 nanograms

See also Vitamin D Life

• All items in category Winter Blues and Vitamin D 215 items
• Depression 40 % more likely if low vitamin D – Oct 2011
• 36 % less depression when have high level of vitamin D – July 2011
• Depressed people had less than 10 ng of vitamin D – July 2010
• vitamin D variations and mental health - Aug 2010 nice charts
• Mental Illness and Vitamin D nice
• Depression in UAE peaks in the summer – probably due to sun avoidance – Feb 2011
• Several abstracts on vitamin D and depression – Y or N July 2010
• Less than 20 ng vitamin D increases depression by 80 percent – Dec 2010
• Hypothesis non-severe depression and diabetes related by low vitamin D – June 2011
• Young almost 2X more likely to be depressed if vitamin D less than 20ng – Nov 2010
• Psychiatric disorders 4X more likely in teens if low vitamin D - Nov 2011
• SAD rate 10X higher in cloudy Seattle than sunny Florida - April 2011 has the following graphs