Evaluation of the prevalence of anxiety and depression symptoms in students with different levels of vitamin D supplementation of the body

Introduction. Vitamin D deficiency affects a person’s psycho-emotional state and has been shown to be associated with depression and anxiety.

Aim of the study. To evaluate the prevalence of signs of anxiety and depression in students at different degrees provision of the organism with D-vitamin.

Materials and methods. To detect anxiety/depression, one hundred ninety four healthy students of both sexes were interviewed using the HADS questionnaire during the period of lowest solar insolation (October-April). Serum 25-OH of vitamin D was determined. Correlations between signs of anxiety/depression and different D vitamin levels were evaluated.

Results. Signs of anxiety were detected in 37.1 ± 3.5% of the examined subjects, and depression – in 20.1 ± 2.9%. Among students with vitamin D deficiency, there were 2.5 times more people with signs of anxiety than with signs of depression (p < 0.001), while those with subclinical signs of anxiety were 4 times more than those with clinical signs (p < 0.05). Among volunteers without signs of anxiety, the average 25-OH D value was 1.8 times higher than among those who had these signs (p < 0.001) In clinically expressed anxiety, the 25-OH D level was statistically significantly lower than in subclinically expressed anxiety by 1.4 times (p < 0.05). In the absence of signs of depression, the 25-OH D value exceeded that in their presence by 2.1 times (p < 0.001). Signs of anxiety were determined at a vitamin D level within the “deficiency” range (Me –10.14; Q₁ – 7.48; Q₃ – 15.8), and signs of depression – within the “severe deficiency” range (Me – 8.23; Q₁ – 6.09; Q₃ – 11.51; p = 0.001). A decrease in the vitamin D level was determined with insufficient UV insolation: for seven months of the year (from September to March), the erythemal power is 2.58 times lower than from April to August; in case of deficiency and severe deficiency of vitamin D, the correlation between its content and signs of anxiety is inverse, noticeable (rs = –0.5; p = 0.01), and the correlation with signs of depression is inverse, moderate (rs = –0.45, p = 0.01).

Limitations. Healthy university students examined at lowest solar insolation who had not taken vitamin D during the year.

Conclusion. Reduced provision of vitamin D is a risk factor for the formation of anxiety and depression in students, which necessitates prevention in the fall-winter-spring period of the year.

Compliance with ethical standards. The study was conducted in compliance with the ethical standards of the Declaration of Helsinki of the World Medical Association. An opinion was obtained by the Ethical Committee of I. Kant BFU (Protocol No. 38 of 03/31/2023). Each study participant gave informed voluntary written consent to participate in the study and to release personal medical information in an anonymized form.

Contributions:
Rakhmanov R.S. – concept and design of the study, writing the text;
Tarasov A.V. – collection, systematization of primary material, preparation of the text;
Skoblina N.A. – editing the final version of the article;
Piskarev Yu.G. – statistical processing of the material;
Razgulin S.A. – collection of literature data, participation in the interpretation of the results.
All authors are responsible for the integrity of all parts of the manuscript and approval of the manuscript final version.

Conflict of interest. The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Funding. The study had no sponsorship.

Received: April 1, 2025 / Revised: May 22, 2025 / Accepted: October 15, 2025 / Published: April 17, 2026

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