A protocol to review of vitamin D supplementation in depression in adults

Created November 2013

Efficacy of vitamin D supplementation in depression in adults: a systematic review protocol.

Syst Rev. 2013 Aug 8;2:64. doi: 10.1186/2046-4053-2-64.

Li G, Mbuagbaw L, Samaan Z, Zhang S, Adachi JD, Papaioannou A, Thabane L.

Department of Clinical Epidemiology & Biostatistics, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8S 4L8, Canada.

BACKGROUND: The role of vitamin D in management of depression is unclear. Results from observational and emerging randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating the efficacy of vitamin D in depression lack consistency - with some suggesting a positive association while others show a negative or inconclusive association.

METHODS/DESIGN: The primary aim of this study is to conduct a systematic review of RCTs to assess the effect of oral vitamin D supplementation versus placebo on depression symptoms measured by scales and the proportion of patients with symptomatic improvement according to the authors' original definition. Secondary aims include assessing the change in quality of life, adverse events and treatment discontinuation. We will conduct the systematic review and meta-analysis according to the recommendations of the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. We will search the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE (1966 to present), EMBASE (1980 to present), CINAHL (1982 to present), PsychINFO (1967 to present) and ClinicalTrials.gov. Unpublished work will be identified by searching two major conferences: the International Vitamin Conference, the Anxiety Disorders and Depression Conference, while grey literature will be acquired by contacting authors of included studies. We will use the random-effects meta-analysis to synthesize the data by pooling the results of included studies.

DISCUSSION: The results of this systematic review will be helpful in clarifying the efficacy of vitamin D supplementation and providing evidence to establish guidelines for implementation of vitamin D for depression in general practice and other relevant settings.

PMID: 23927040

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Contains a nice list of search terms

Vitamin D supplementation

  1. Vitamin D/explode

  2. vitamin D

  3. vitamin D2

  4. vitamin D3

  5. 1-alpha hydroxyvitamin D3

  6. 1-alpha-hydroxy-vitamin D3

  7. 1-alpha hydroxycalciferol

  8. 1-alpha-hydroxy-calciferol

  9. 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D3

  10. 1,25-dihydroxy-vitamin D3

  11. 1,25 dihydroxycholecalciferol

  12. 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol

  13. 25-hydroxycholecalciferol

  14. 25 hydroxycholecalciferol

  15. 25 hydroxyvitamin D

  16. 25-hydroxy-vitamin D

  17. alfacalcidol

  18. calcidiol

  19. calcitriol

  20. calcifediol

  21. calciferol

  22. ergocalciferol

  23. cholecalciferol

  24. OR/1-23

Search for depression

  1. Depress*

  2. Dysthymi*

  3. Adjustment Disorder*

  4. Mood Disorder*

  5. Affective Disorder

  6. Affective Symptoms

  7. OR/25-30

Search for randomized controlled trials

  1. trial

  2. clinical trial

  3. random* controlled trial

  4. RCT

  5. group*

  6. experiment*

  7. intervention

  8. placebo

  9. OR/32-39

Search for combinations

  1. 24 AND 31 AND 40

See also Vitamin D Life

Tags: Depression