J Korean Soc Biol Ther Psychiatry.  2021 Oct;27(3):228-236.

Vitamin D and Resilience in Acutely Admitted Patients with Bipolar Disorder

• Kim CG
• Kim BJ
• Lee CS
• Lee SJ
• Lee D
• Seo JY
• Choi JW
• Lee YJ
• Lee YJ
• Lim E
• Cha B

Abstract

Objectives
：The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between serum vitamin D concentration and resilience in patients hospitalized with bipolar disorder.
Methods
：Serum vitamin D levels were measured on day 1 of hospitalization in 64 patients with bipolar disorder, who were diagnosed according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition. The ConnorDavidson Resilience Scale and the Korean version of the Inventory for Depressive Symptomatology (KIDS) were administered to these patients, and symptoms of mania were evaluated using the Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS). Patients were then categorized into vitamin D sufficient and deficient groups based on a serum vitamin D cut-off of 20 ng/ mL. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was performed to compare the resilience between the two groups, and multiple linear regression was performed to determine the association between serum vitamin D levels and resilience.
Results
：The vitamin D deficiency group had more depressive episodes than the sufficient group (p<0.05). ANCOVA showed that the vitamin D deficient group had significantly lower resilience scores than the sufficient group (p= 0.034). Moreover, multiple regression analyses conducted by controlling age, sex, body mass index, season of blood sampling, KIDS scores, and YMRS scores, showed a significant association between serum vitamin D concentration and resilience in patients with bipolar disorder (p=0.001).
Conclusions
：This study suggested that vitamin D deficiency is associated with resilience as a protective factor against stress and trauma in patients with bipolar disorder. Further research is warranted to determine the causal relationship between vitamin D levels and resilience.

Keyword

Vitamin D; Resilience; Psychological; Bipolar disorder