Annual high-dose vitamin D3 and mental well-being: randomised controlled trial

Br J Psychiatry. 2011 May;198(5):357-64. doi: 10.1192/bjp.bp.110.087544.

Abstract

Background: Epidemiological evidence supports a relationship between vitamin D and mental well-being, although evidence from large-scale placebo-controlled intervention trials is lacking.

Aims: To examine if vitamin D supplementation has a beneficial effect on mood in community-dwelling older women; if a single annual large dose of vitamin D has a role in the prevention of depressive symptoms; and if there is an association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and mental health.

Method: A double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial of women aged 70 or older (the Vital D Study: ISRCTN83409867 and ACTR12605000658617). Participants were randomly assigned to receive 500 000 IU vitamin D(3) (cholecalciferol) orally or placebo every autumn/winter for 3-5 consecutive years. The tools utilised at various time points were the General Health Questionnaire, the 12-item Short Form Health Survey, the Patient Global Impression-Improvement scale and the WHO Well-Being Index. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were measured in a subset of 102 participants.

Results: In this non-clinical population, no significant differences between the vitamin D and placebo groups were detected in any of the measured outcomes of mental health. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels in the vitamin D group were 41% higher than the placebo group 12 months following their annual dose. Despite this difference, scores from the questionnaires did not differ. Furthermore, there was no interaction between those on antidepressant/anxiety medication at baseline and the treatment groups.

Conclusions: The lack of improvement in indices of mental well-being in the vitamin D group does not support the hypothesis that an annual high dose of vitamin D(3) is a practical intervention to prevent depressive symptoms in older community-dwelling women.

Publication types

  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Anxiety / drug therapy
  • Cholecalciferol / administration & dosage
  • Cholecalciferol / therapeutic use*
  • Data Interpretation, Statistical
  • Depression / drug therapy
  • Depression / epidemiology*
  • Depression / prevention & control
  • Double-Blind Method
  • Female
  • Fractures, Bone / prevention & control
  • Health Status
  • Humans
  • Intention to Treat Analysis
  • Mental Health / statistics & numerical data*
  • Middle Aged
  • Osteoporosis / prevention & control
  • Outcome Assessment, Health Care / statistics & numerical data*
  • Placebos
  • Risk Factors
  • Time Factors
  • Vitamin D / analogs & derivatives*
  • Vitamin D / blood
  • Vitamin D Deficiency / epidemiology
  • Vitamins / administration & dosage
  • Vitamins / therapeutic use*

Substances

  • Placebos
  • Vitamins
  • Vitamin D
  • Cholecalciferol
  • 25-hydroxyvitamin D

Associated data

  • ISRCTN/ISRCTN83409867