Mental health problems cut in half when have adequate level of vitamin D

Vitamin D and common mental disorders in mid-life: cross-sectional and prospective findings

Clinical Nutrition, Jan 2013

Jane Maddock, Diane J. Berry, Marie-Claude Geoffroy, Chris Power, Elina Hyppönen

MRC Centre of Epidemiology for Child Health/Centre for Paediatric Epidemiology and Biostatistics, UCL Institute of Child Health, UK

The relationship between vitamin D and common mental disorders (CMDs) remains unclear. We aimed to determine if behaviours affecting vitamin D concentrations differ between individuals with or without CMDs and evaluate, cross-sectionally and prospectively, the extent to which the association between 25(OH)D and CMDs are explained by these behaviours.

Methods Data are from the 1958 British birth cohort (n=7,401). Behaviours were ascertained by questionnaire at age 45 years. CMDs (depression, anxiety, panic, phobia) were assessed using the Clinical Interview Schedule-Revised at 45 years and depression using Mental Health Inventory-5 at 50 years.

Results Participants with CMDs at 45 years differed from others on some but not all vitamin D related behaviours. There were inverse, cross-sectional associations at 45 years of 25(OH)D with depression and panic, which persisted after adjustment for vitamin D related behaviours (OR=0.57, 95%CI: 0.40,0.81 and OR=0.33, 95%CI: 0.40,0.81, respectively). Association between 25(OH)D and subsequent (50 years) risk of depression was non-linear (p=0.01), with lower risk for participants with 25(OH)D between 50 and 85 nmol/l compared with those with lower or higher concentrations.

Conclusion This study provides support for an association of low 25(OH)D concentrations with current and subsequent risk of depression in mid-adulthood.

Preliminary PDF is attached at the bottom of this page

See also Vitamin D Life

• Suicide 2X more likely with low vitamin D (in military) – Jan 2013

• Depression book talks about vitamin D - Nov 2012

• Hypothesis: Some Mental Illness could be treated or prevented with vitamin D

• Much less depression if higher than 43 ng of vitamin D – Oct 2012

• All items in category Winter Blues/Depression and Vitamin D items

• Mental Illness and Vitamin D from Vitamin D Counci

• Psychiatric disorders 4X more likely in teens if low vitamin D - Nov 2011

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

• Mood disorders 11X worse for older adults with low vitamin D – 2006

• Fewest Google searches for Mental Health when there is lots of vitamin D from the sun – May 2013

See also web

• review of this study at NutrIngredients Jan 2013

• Clinical Trials for Depression with vitamin D intervention 27 INTERVENTION trials listed as of Sept 2013

  • Random controlled trials to see if vitamin D reduces depression.
  • However, it appears that most of the trials are only using 2800 IU of vitamin D, which is probably not enough