Clinical Indications of Vitamin D, B12, and Folate Deficiency among Individuals with Mental Illness

Written by Chrystal Moulton, Staff Writer. Multi-regression analysis showed that vitamin D deficient schizophrenic patients were more likely to experience agoraphobia (P <0.001), higher depressive symptoms (P = 0.018), lower employment rates (P = 0.009), and worsening Global Assessment of Functioning scores (P <0.001).

Nutrition plays a significant role in both physical and mental health. Specifically, vitamin B12, folate, and vitamin D have been clinically associated with neurological function and mental health1,2. Several studies have demonstrated positive results among individuals with mental disorders who were supplemented with vitamin D and B3-5. In the  current study, researchers examined whether there were any correlations between vitamin D, B12, and folate and functional status of patients diagnosed with major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia6.

Data for this trial was collected from a single psychiatric center in France. Patients between the age of 18 and 65 years old with a primary diagnosis of bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, or schizophrenia who were undergoing treatment or follow up at the center was included in this trial. Data was collected through standardized interviews, medical records, and medical consultations. Each patient completed questionnaires and clinical scales under the supervision of a trained health professional. Clinical scales that were used include: the Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia [CDSS], the Spielberger State Trait Anxiety Inventory [STAI-YA], the Global Assessment of Functioning [GAF], Suicidal Behavior Questionnaire- Revised [SBQ-R], the International Diabetes Federation Criteria [IDF], and the Short Form- 36 [SF-36] which was used to measure quality of life. Blood samples were taken to measure serum levels of vitamin B12, B9, and D. This study was designed as a cross-sectional observational study. Multi regression analysis was used to identify associations between clinical factors and vitamin deficiency.

Results from 1003 patients were included in this study. Of these patients, 463 were diagnosed with schizophrenia, 113 were diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and 427 with major depressive disorder. Among patients diagnosed with schizophrenia, 92 were vitamin D deficient. Multi-regression analysis showed that vitamin D deficient schizophrenic patients were more likely to experience agoraphobia (P <0.001), higher depressive symptoms (P = 0.018), lower employment rates (P = 0.009), and worsening Global Assessment of Functioning scores (P <0.001). Fifty patients with major depressive disorder were vitamin D deficient. Among them, vitamin D deficiency was associated with lower scores on the Short Form- 36 questionnaire (P = 0.012), increased serum levels of C-reactive protein (P = 0.003), along with an increased likelihood of hypertriglyceridemia (P = 0.020) and agoraphobia (P = 0.001). Among patients diagnosed with bipolar disorder ten were vitamin D deficient. Individuals in this group were more likely to use atypical antipsychotic medications (P = 0.035). Eighty-two patients with schizophrenia exhibited folate deficiency and were more likely to be male (P = 0.035) with lower educational status (P = 0.005). Major depressive disorder patients with vitamin B9 deficiency were more likely to be younger (P <0.001) and have ADHD (P = 0.034). Researchers also observed that folate was negatively associated with vitamin B12 levels in major depressive disorder patients (P = 0.011). Researchers found no significant associations between clinical markers in bipolar disorder patients. Furthermore, the prevalence of vitamin B12 deficiency was very low. However, researchers did observe that old age was significantly associated with B12 deficiency among schizophrenic and bipolar patients (P <0.05).

Overall, this study shows a complex association between vitamin D, B12, and folate deficiency among patients with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depressive disorder. Researchers hope these results could give insight into nutritional interventions for individuals suffering from severe mental illnesses.

Source: Faugere, Mélanie, Éloïse Maakaron, Vincent Achour, Pierre Verney, Christelle Andrieu-Haller, Jade Obadia, Guillaume Fond, Christophe Lançon, and Théo Korchia. “Vitamin D, B9, and B12 Deficiencies as Key Drivers of Clinical Severity and Metabolic Comorbidities in Major Psychiatric Disorders.” Nutrients 17, no. 7 (2025): 1167.

© 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and
conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

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Posted August 14, 2025.

Chrystal is a 2008 graduate of the University of Illinois at Chicago. She graduated with a bachelor’s in psychology with a focus on premedical studies and is a licensed project manager. She currently resides in Chicago.

References:

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