Clinical symptoms of psychotic episodes and 25-hydroxy vitamin D serum levels in black first-generation immigrants

Abstract

The clinical features of psychotic episodes in black FGIs are similar to those reported in dark-skinned FGIs to other countries. They are also observed in other immigrants and in non-immigrants. These atypical psychoses are possibly related to a recent vitamin D deficit. This hypothesis should be tested by clinical trials of sufficient vitamin D supplementation.

Vitamin D status in psychotic disorder patients and healthy controls – The influence of ethnic background

“…This high proportion of patients with low S-25 OH D is of importance since this might influence morbidity both related to depressive (Berg et al, 2010), positive (Yuksel et al, 2014), negative (Graham et al, 2014) or atypical symptoms (Dealberto, 2013). There were no significant correlations between S-25 OH D and positive or negative symptomatology in the current study, but there was a moderate association between low S-25 OH D and increased depressive symptomatology in the FEP group.…”

Possible contributions of skin pigmentation and vitamin D in a polyfactorial model of seasonal affective disorder

“…Vitamin D is a phylogenetically old steroid hormone whose presence researchers have documented in at least 36 tissues and 900 genes as of this writing. Rather than functioning as a causally proximal sub-mechanism in SAD, our review of the literature suggests that the role of vitamin D may be more basic and distal in its contributions to SAD, and to the emergence of other disorders for that matter [60,[82][83][84]114]. In reviewing the components of the current polyfactorial model of SAD, vitamin D is involved in several of the sub-mechanisms.…”

“…It is conceivable that for first-generation immigrants who experience acute hypovitaminosis D because of relocation from lower to higher latitudes, the administration of vitamin D provides a larger amount of relief from depression and SAD symptoms compared to others for whom other etiological sub-mechanisms may have become involved previously [82][83][84].…”

“…[56,82,83]. Specifically, the first generation of people with dark skin to migrate to high latitude areas may be more likely to exhibit acute symptoms of SAD compared to the residents of these areas possessing lighter skin.…”

“…Disruptions in the adequate supply of vitamin D also may affect the development and functioning of the dopamine and serotonin neurotransmitter systems [39]. In this regard, second generation children may experience vulnerabilities for multiple developmental, affective, and psychotic disorders [60,82,83]. For such second generation children, an important focus of further inquiry involves determining what affects the emergence of specific physical or psychopathological symptoms given the low vitamin D prenatal environment that is a common etiological factor.…”