Open AccessDepression and its Association with Vitamin D Deficiency: A Review
Author(s) -
Heba Samy Shoukry
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
bioscientific review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2663-4201
pISSN - 2663-4198
DOI - 10.32350/bsr.0204.04
Subject(s) - depression (economics) , vitamin d and neurology , vitamin d deficiency , association (psychology) , mechanism (biology) , depressive symptoms , medicine , psychology , psychiatry , socioeconomic status , environmental health , anxiety , psychotherapist , population , philosophy , epistemology , economics , macroeconomics
Depression is a common psychological disorder and a major health issue. Many socioeconomic, environmental and genetic factors contribute to the onset and progression of depression. In recent years, the deficiency of vitamin D has emerged as a possible predisposing factor responsible for the manifestation of depression. In this review article, the causes of depression are briefly reviewed with a special focus on the association between vitamin D and depression. In recent years, the association between vitamin D and depression has been extensively investigated; still, the mechanism that governs this association is not fully understood. An understanding of the underlying biological processes and mechanisms through which vitamin D exerts its role will help in understanding the predisposition towards depression and the amelioration of depressive symptoms.