Relationship Between Depression and Vitamin C Status: A Study on Rural Patients From Western Uttar Pradesh in India

Abstract

Aim & Objective: To study vitamin C status of rural depressed population of Western U.P vis-a-vis age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Materials & Methods: From patients visiting the Psychiatric outpatient department of TMMC & RC, thirty depressed patients, diagnosed according to Structured Clinical Interview DSM-IV-TR schedule, were selected randomly and their serum vitamin C levels were measured by dinitrophenyl hydrazine method. These levels were compared with 30 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Results: Mean (± SD) serum vitamin C levels of depressed patients and controls were 0.18 ± 0.09 mg/dl and 0.41 ± 0.07 mg/dl respectively. The difference between these two groups of subjects was statistically signifi cant (p value < 0.001). Conclusion: This study shows low vitamin C status in depressed patients as compared to normal individuals, and suggests that vitamin C supplementation can have a positive effect in the treatment of these patients.