The relationship of severity of depression with homocysteine, folate, vitamin B12, and vitamin D levels in children and adolescents

Background Depression is a heterogeneous disorder and is thought to develop as a result of complex interactions between genetic and environmental factors. One‐carbon metabolism that includes vitamin B12, folic acid, and homocysteine has been investigated in psychiatric disorders like depression. In recent years, vitamin D has also been considered to contribute to psychiatric disorders. In this study, serum levels of folate, vitamin B12, and homocysteine related to one‐carbon metabolism and vitamin D were investigated in children and adolescents with depression and to assess possible roles in depression pathogenesis. Methods The study included 89 children and adolescents with depression (69 female, 20 male; mean age ± SD = 15.08 ± 1.46) and 43 control subjects (31 female, 12 male; mean age ± SD = 14.41 ± 2.32) without any DSM‐5 diagnosis. Each subject completed a sociodemographic form, Childhood Depression Inventory, State‐Trait Anxiety Inventory 1‐2 and measured serum folate, vitamin B12, homocysteine, and 25‐OH vitamin D levels. Results There was no significant difference between the groups in terms of folate levels (p = .052). In the patient group, the vitamin B12 and vitamin D levels were clearly low (p values for both levels were