Vitamin D receptor (VDR) is widely distributed in the human brain including areas that are assumed to be involved in the pathophysiology of depression. Vitamin D deficiency may cause physical symptoms like pain.

See if somatic presentation of depression has any correlate with vitamin D deficiency.

To compare prevalence of vitamin D deficiency between depressed and non-depressed subjects and see if somatic presentation of depression has any correlate with vitamin D deficiency.

Sixty diagnosed MDD patients consenting to participate in the study from a large private hospital selected, provided they were non-smoker, 18–65 years, free from chronic illness and not taking anti-depressant control (60 subjects) comprised of close family members of patients. FSC (functional somatic complaints) was assessed using local language version of Bradford Somatic Inventory (BSI), while severity of depression was assessed using HDRS-17. Based on the total score, FSCs are categorized into 3 grades ((>40 ‘high, 26–40 ‘middle, and 0–25‘low’ range).

Vitamin D status (deficiency: insufficiency: sufficiency) was 70: 30.0: 0.0% in depressed, which significantly worse compared to control subjects (55%: 25: 20%). Patients with higher BSI scores (i.e. more somatisation) showed non-significantly lower vitamin D level. These results were more prominent for female subjects.

Vitamin D deficiency is more common in depression subjects, which might thus need to be looked for and treated. However, no significant link between somatisation and vitamin D deficiency could be established.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.