Factors associated with vitamin D status of low-income, hospitalized psychiatric patients: results of a retrospective study

BACKGROUND: Recent evidence has indicated a potential role of vitamin D3 in a range of neuropsychiatric outcomes, as well as on cognitive function, but conflicting data have left that role uncertain. Understanding potential associations of vitamin D status with psychiatric illness will allow clinicians to better assess therapeutic options. Few studies have examined vitamin D status among a racially diverse group of psychiatric patients who have been hospitalized, and none has done so in the southern US where socioeconomic inequality is high. METHODS: In this retrospective study, medical records from 113 patients hospitalized for psychiatric illness were retrieved and analyzed. Vitamin D status in this population was estimated, along with any patterns of association between deficiency and risk factors. RESULTS: The vast majority of patients hospitalized for psychiatric illness in this biracial, low-income sample had either insufficient or deficient vitamin D levels. African-American patients had lower levels of vitamin D than Caucasian patients. DISCUSSION: Our findings demonstrate that hospitalized psychiatric patients are at increased risk for vitamin D deficiency and in particular low-income, African-American populations. These results suggest that vitamin D should be assessed and therapy considered at the initiation of psychiatric hospitalizations.