The Missing Vitamin in Humans! The Impact of Vitamin D Deficiency on Mental Health in Adolescents: A Cross-Sectional Study
Jennings Hernandez *
Washington University of Health and Science, United States of America.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Vitamin D has been reported in the scientific press as a crucial factor that has significant health benefits in the prevention and treatment of countless chronic illnesses, including mental health.
Psychiatric illnesses are in their own right a complex constellation of factors that shape an individual’s mental health. Vitamin D is critical not only for bone health but also for suitable brain development and functioning. Most individuals worldwide have insufficient levels of vitamin D. Not only are adults affected, but adolescents are also predisposed to this deficiency. This is also true for individuals with mental health disorders. Low levels of vitamin D are directly correlated with depression, schizophrenia, seasonal affective disorder, and cognitive dysfunction. Adolescents were studied to investigate the relationship between low levels of vitamin D concentrations and mental health conditions, including psychosis, and to report on the current knowledge about the assessment and treatment of vitamin D deficiency in relation to mental health.
Keywords: Psychosis, mental health, depression, schizophrenia, cognitive dysfunction, vitamin D deficiency, seasonal affective disorder