ArticlePloS one2013
Low vitamin D status and suicide: a case-control study of active duty military service members.
Article in PloS one, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 34 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
34 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 87 citations in OpenAlex.
- Risk of suicide, suicide attempt, and suicidal ideation among people with vitamin D deficiency: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC psychiatry · 2025Pooled it
- Vitamin D and depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis comparing studies with and without biological flaws.Nutrients · 2014Pooled it
- Vitamin D as a Lifespan Neuroimmune Signal in Psychiatry: From Developmental Risk to Precision Nutrition.Nutrients · 2026Review
- A comprehensive review of dietary supplements mission-specific health and performance enhancement in military soldiers.Food science and biotechnology · 2025Review
- Association of Vitamin D with Suicide Behaviors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Iranian journal of psychiatry · 2023Review
- Vitamin D and suicidality: a Chinese early adolescent cohort and Mendelian randomization study.Epidemiology and psychiatric sciences · 2023Article
- Article
- Association of Serum Vitamin D Levels with the Risk of Suicidal Behavior in Ilam, Iran: A Brief Report.Iranian journal of medical sciences · 2023Article
- Vitamin D in Depression: A Potential Bioactive Agent to Reduce Suicide and Suicide Attempt Risk.Nutrients · 2023Review
- The association between vitamin D serum levels, supplementation, and suicide attempts and intentional self-harm.PloS one · 2023Article
- Diagnostic difficulties in the diagnosis of high acute-phase proteins levels in a teenage drug addicted female patient.BMC psychiatry · 2022Article
- Evaluating the heterogeneous effect of a modifiable risk factor on suicide: The case of vitamin D deficiency.International journal of methods in psychiatric research · 2022Observational
- Suicidality in Epilepsy: Does It Share Common Pathogenic Mechanisms with Epilepsy?Current topics in behavioral neurosciences · 2022Observational
- Relationship between the double burden of malnutrition and mental health in overweight and obese adult women.Journal of nutritional science · 2022Article
- Suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and suicide death among Veterans and service members: A comprehensive meta-analysis of risk factors.Military psychology : the official journal of the Division of Military Psychology, American Psychological Association · 2022Article
- Proposed Neuroimmune Roles of Dimethyl Fumarate, Bupropion,Brain sciences · 2020Review
- Vitamin D Doses from Solar Ultraviolet and Dietary Intakes in Patients with Depression: Results of a Case-Control Study.Nutrients · 2020Article
- Low Vitamin D States Observed in U.S. Marines and Navy Sailors with Early Multi-Symptom Illness.Biomolecules · 2020Article
- Vitamin D and inflammation in major depressive disorder.Journal of affective disorders · 2020Article
- The relationship between vitamin D status and depression in a tactical athlete population.Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition · 2019Article
Corrections and comments
- Erratum issued
Authors and funding
8 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
objectiveConsidering that epidemiological studies show that suicide rates in many countries are highest in the spring when vitamin D status is lowest, and that low vitamin D status can affect brain function, we sought to evaluate if a low level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] could be a predisposing factor for suicide.
methodWe conducted a prospective, nested, case-control study using serum samples stored in the Department of Defense Serum Repository. Participants were previously deployed active duty US military personnel (2002-2008) who had a recent archived serum sample available for analysis. Vitamin D status was estimated by measuring 25(OH) D levels in serum samples drawn within 24 months of the suicide. Each verified suicide case (n = 495) was matched to a control (n = 495) by rank, age and sex. We calculated odds ratio of suicide associated with categorical levels (octiles) of 25(OH) D, adjusted by season of serum collection.
findingsMore than 30% of all subjects had 25(OH)D values below 20 ng/mL. Although mean serum 25(OH)D concentrations did not differ between suicide cases and controls, risk estimates indicated that subjects in the lowest octile of season-adjusted 25(OH)D (<15.5 ng/mL) had the highest risk of suicide, with subjects in the subsequent higher octiles showing approximately the same level of decreased risk (combined odds ratio compared to lowest octile = 0.49; 95% C.I.: 0.315-0.768).
conclusionsLow vitamin D status is common in active duty service members. The lowest 25(OH)D levels are associated with an increased risk for suicide. Future studies could determine if additional sunlight exposure and vitamin D supplementation might reduce suicide by increasing 25(OH) D levels.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.