Trial reportTrials2015
Vitamin C as an adjuvant for treating major depressive disorder and suicidal behavior, a randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial.
Trial report in Trials, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 19 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
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.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
19 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 57 citations in OpenAlex.
- Nutraceuticals and phytoceuticals for the treatment of major depressive disorder: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.Molecular psychiatry · 2026Pooled it
- Understanding the research landscape of over-the-counter herbal products, dietary supplements, and medications evaluated for depressive symptoms in adults: a scoping review.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2025Pooled it
- Systematic review of suicide prevention studies with data on youth and young adults living in low-income and middle-income countries.BMJ open · 2022Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Exploring the potential of polyphenols in major depression: from molecular function to clinical therapy.Frontiers in nutrition · 2026Review
- Identifying leading anti-inflammatory dietary determinants of depression and loneliness in older adults.Brain, behavior, & immunity - health · 2025Article
- The Risk of Depressive Symptoms according to the Dietary Intake of Vitamin C.Neuropsychobiology · 2025Article
- Exploring the Roles of Vitamins C and D and Etifoxine in Combination with Citalopram in Depression/Anxiety Model: A Focus on ICAM-1, SIRT1 and Nitric Oxide.International journal of molecular sciences · 2024Article
- Associations of composite dietary antioxidant index with suicidal ideation incidence and mortality among the U.S. population.Frontiers in nutrition · 2024Article
- Vitamins C and D Exhibit Similar Antidepressant Effects to Escitalopram Mediated by NOx and FKBPL in a Stress-Induced Mice Model.Nutrients · 2023Article
- Flavonols in Action: Targeting Oxidative Stress and Neuroinflammation in Major Depressive Disorder.International journal of molecular sciences · 2023Review
- BDNF as a Mediator of Antidepressant Response: Recent Advances and Lifestyle Interactions.International journal of molecular sciences · 2022Review
- Delving the role of nutritional psychiatry to mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic induced stress, anxiety and depression.Trends in food science & technology · 2022Review
- Dietary Vitamin C and Vitamin C Derived from Vegetables Are Inversely Associated with the Risk of Depressive Symptoms among the General Population.Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2021Article
- Fruit and vegetable intake and mental health among family caregivers of people with dementia in Uganda.Mental health & prevention · 2021Article
- Targeting Mitochondrial Dysfunction for Bipolar Disorder.Current topics in behavioral neurosciences · 2021Review
- Mitochondrial Agents for Bipolar Disorder.The international journal of neuropsychopharmacology · 2018Review
- Evidence for the involvement of opioid system in the antidepressant-like effect of ascorbic acid.Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's archives of pharmacology · 2018Article
- Ascorbic Acid to Manage Psychiatric Disorders.CNS drugs · 2017Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThere are some animal studies suggesting the possible role of vitamin C for treating depression. However, the efficacy of vitamin C for treating adult patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) has never been examined.
methodsThis 8-week randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial included adult patients with major depressive disorder according to DSM-IV diagnostic criteria. Twenty-one patients in the treatment group received citalopram plus vitamin C and the 22 patients in the control group received citalopram plus placebo. The Hamilton Depression Rating Scale was used to measure depressive symptoms at baseline, week 2, week 4, and week 8. We also checked for the presence of adverse effects.
resultsWhile depression symptoms decreased in both groups during this trial, there was no statistically significant difference between the 2 groups (P = .5). The rate of remission, partial response, and complete response was not different between the two groups. The rate of adverse effects were not different between the two groups.
conclusionAdding vitamin C to citalopram did not increase the efficacy of citalopram in MDD patients. Vitamin C plus citalopram is as effective as placebo plus citalopram for treating adult patients with suicidal behavior. No serious adverse effect for this combination was identified during this trial.
trial registrationThis trial was registered at http://www.irct.ir . The registration number of this trial was: IRCT201312263930N31 . Date registered: 5 July 2014.
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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.