Research article

High vitamin B₁₂ level and good treatment outcome may be associated in major depressive disorder

Jukka Hintikka , Tommi Tolmunen , Antti Tanskanen and Heimo Viinamäki

Department of Psychiatry, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland

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BMC Psychiatry 2003, 3:17doi:10.1186/1471-244X-3-17

Published:	2 December 2003

Abstract

Background

Despite of an increasing body of research the associations between vitamin B₁₂ and folate levels and the treatment outcome in depressive disorders are still unsolved. We therefore conducted this naturalistic prospective follow-up study. Our aim was to determine whether there were any associations between the vitamin B₁₂ and folate level and the six-month treatment outcome in patients with major depressive disorder. Because vitamin B₁₂ and folate deficiency may result in changes in haematological indices, including mean corpuscular volume, red blood cell count and hematocrit, we also examined whether these indices were associated with the treatment outcome.

Methods

Haematological indices, erythrocyte folate and serum vitamin B₁₂ levels were determined in 115 outpatients with DSM-III-R major depressive disorder at baseline and serum vitamin B₁₂ level again on six-month follow-up. The 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale was also compiled, respectively. In the statistical analysis we used chi-squared test, Pearson's correlation coefficient, the Student's t-test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and univariate and multivariate linear regression analysis.

Results

Higher vitamin B₁₂ levels significantly associated with a better outcome. The association between the folate level and treatment outcome was weak and probably not independent. No relationship was found between haematological indices and the six-month outcome.

Conclusion

The vitamin B₁₂ level and the probability of recovery from major depression may be positively associated. Nevertheless, further studies are suggested to confirm this finding.