
Vitamin D deficiency could be linked to depression in adults
A new study has found an association between vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency and an increased risk of developing new-onset depression in middle-aged adults. In addition, vitamin D deficiency may also predict sustained symptoms in people who already have depression.
This is a significant discovery, as it supports the theory that vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency come before the development of depression, in which it may also play a role.
The study used data from the UK Biobank, and assessed the potential associations between vitamin D status at the baseline assessment, which took place between 2006 and 2010, and depression measured at the follow-up assessment in 2016. The study included 139,128 participants aged between 40 and 69 years.
It was discovered that in people without depression, both vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency increased the risk of developing new-onset depression at the follow-up assessment.
Additionally, both vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency were associated with an increased risk of depression in those who were already depressed at the baseline assessment.
Original study