Vitamin D and Mood Disorders Among Women: An Integrative Review

Pamela K. Murphy, CNM, MS, IBCLC; Carol L. Wagner, MD

J Midwifery Womens Health. 2008;53(5):440-446.

Conclusion

In summary, despite the development of measurements for 25(OH)D more than 30 years ago, only six research studies comparing mood disorders in women and serum 25(OH)D have been published in the literature in the past 15 years. Although each study has limitations, four of the six studies (each examining a different mood disorder) show a significant association between mood disorders and low vitamin D levels, indicating that some biochemical mechanism may exist between the two variables. These associations warrant further studies, using rigorous methods to examine the influence of vitamin D on specific mood disorders.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Teresa Kelechi and Jennie Ariail for their support.

Reprint Address

Pamela K. Murphy, CNM, MS, IBCLC, Medical University of South Carolina, 169 Ashley Ave., P.O. Box 250347, Charleston, SC 29425. E-Mail: murphypa@musc.edu

Cite this: Vitamin D and Mood Disorders Among Women: An Integrative Review - Medscape - Sep 01, 2008.

Research Studies Evaluating the Association of Vitamin D and Mood Disorders
Type of Mood Disorder	Author, Year	Type of Study	Sample	Measurement Instrument	Key Findings	USPSTF Rating
Major depressive disorder	Eskandari et al., 2007	Comparative descriptive	n=131; 21–45 years old; 121 white F, 10 nonspecified race	DSM-IV	25(OH)D significantly lower in women with MDD compared to controls (27±10.1 ng/mL vs. 34±14.4 ng/mL; P<.002)	Fair
Mood disorder	Wilkins et al., 2006	Comparative descriptive	n=80; =60 years old; 50 F, 30 M; 70 white, 10 AA; 40 with mild Alzheimer's, 40 non-demented	Depressive Features Battery; Depressive Symptoms Inventory	Vitamin D deficiency significantly associated with mood disorder (Wald X₂=7.66; df=2; P=.022)	Fair
Major depression	Schneider et al., 2000	Comparative descriptive	n=56; 18–85 years old, healthy; 12 F, 19 M; major depression: 14 F, 11 M*	DSM-III-R	25(OH)D serum levels not correlated to participants with major depression	Fair
SAD	Gloth, Alam, and Hollis, 1999	Randomized clinical trial	n=15; 15–61 years old; 14 F, 1 M; all white; all diagnosed with SAD	Hamilton Depression Score; SIGH-SAD; SAD-8	Increase in 25(OH)D significantly associated with improvement in depression scale scores (r²=0.26; P=.05)	Fair
PMS	Thys-Jacobs et al., 1995	Comparative descriptive	n=46; 28–42 years old; all white F	Self-recorded diary of PMS-related symptoms	PMS group had significantly lower 25(OH)D levels than controls (19.5±7.5 vs. 25.3±8.3 ng/mL; P<.02)	Fair
Seasonal mood changes	Harris and Dawson-Hughes, 1993	Randomized clinical trial	n=250, 43–72 years old, all white F	POMS questionnaire	POMS scores were not correlated with 25(OH)D serum levels	Fair

25(OH)D = 25-hydroxyvitamin D; AA = African American; DSM = Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; F = female; M = male; PMS = premenstrual syndrome; POMS = profile of mood states; SAD = seasonal affective disorder; USPSTF = U.S. Preventative Services Task Force.
*Study included because half of participants with major depression were female and therefore the study met the inclusion criteria.

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Vitamin D and Mood Disorders Among Women: An Integrative Review

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