title: Vitamin D and depressive symptoms in women during the winter: a pilot study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Research indicates that vitamin D supplementation may decrease depressive symptoms during the winter months.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study, nine women with serum vitamin D levels <40 ng/ml were administered the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)-II. After vitamin D3 supplementation, six of these women completed the BDI-II and had their serum vitamin D levels reassessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Vitamin D supplementation was associated not only with an increase in the serum D levels by an average of 27 ng/ml but also with a decline in the BDI-II scores of an average of 10 points.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study suggests that supplemental vitamin D3 reduces depressive symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Washington State University, Richland, WA 99352, USA. cshipowick@charter.net
authors.forename: Clarissa Drymon
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Shipowick
authors.forename: C Barton
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.forename: Cynthia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Corbett
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bindler
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003863:Depression / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012621:Seasons; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000097:blood; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D014815:Vitamins / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000097:blood; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014815:Vitamins; D014807:Vitamin D