The relationship between vitamin D levels in seasonal variations and Chinese patients with first-episode drug-naive depression

Abstract

Background: Vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent worldwide and is associated with various diseases, including depression. Previous studies on vitamin D and depression have different conclusions.

Objectives: Our study aimed to examine the association between vitamin D levels in seasonal variation and depression.

Methods: A total of 324 patients with first-episode depression aged 18-50 years were recruited for our study. Vitamin D levels were recorded, and PHQ-9 scale evaluation was performed in different seasons. Seasonal variations in vitamin D levels and depressive symptoms were examined.

Results: The cohort comprised 77 males and 247 females. 98.1% of patients had insufficient or deficient vitamin D levels. The median vitamin D level was 12 ng/mL; 14.5 ng/mL in summer and 13 ng/mL in autumn, which was significantly higher than 9 ng/mL in spring, and the correlation between vitamin D level and PHQ-9 score was more significant in spring but not in summer and autumn.

Limitations: Our study used cross-sectional data and could not examine the causal relationship of the vitamin D level and depressive symptoms. There are also some possible influencing factors, such as the dietary habits, outdoor sports, and the use of sunscreen were not investigated.

Conclusion: Observational data showed that the vitamin D level of depression is lower than the normal (30 ng/mL), and it is closely related to depressive symptoms in spring. The seasonal variations in vitamin D levels might play a critical role in Chinese patients with first-episode depression.

Keywords: Correlation; Depression; First-episode; Seasonal variation; Vitamin D.