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Cited by 29Folate and B Vitamins ResearchTryptophan and brain disordersTreatment of Major Depression

A longitudinal study of blood folate levels and depressive symptoms among young women in the Southampton Women’s Survey

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Kendrick, T, Dunn, N, Robinson, S, Oestmann, A, Godfrey, K, Cooper, C, Inskip, H, the Southampton Women’s Survey Study Group·2008·Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health
DOI 10.1136/jech.2007.069765PMC PMC4558940
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Abstract

Background: Lower blood folate levels have been associated with depression in cross-sectional surveys, but no studies have examined the relationship prospectively to determine whether the relationship is causal. A follow-up study was designed to examine whether lower blood folate levels predict incident depressive symptoms. Method: Women aged 20–34 years registered in general practices in Southampton, UK, were asked to participate. Baseline assessment included the general health questionnaire (GHQ-12) measure of anxiety and depression, and socioeconomic factors, diet, smoking and alcohol intake. Two years later, participants’ general practice (GP) records were examined for evidence of incident symptoms of depression. Results: At baseline, 5051 women completed the GHQ-12 and had red cell folate levels measured, of whom 1588 (31.4%) scored above the threshold for case level symptoms of anxiety and depression on the GHQ-12. Two years later, GP records for 3996 (79.1%) were examined, but 1264 with baseline evidence of depression were excluded from follow-up analysis. Incident depressive symptoms were recorded for 307 (11.2%) of the remaining 2732. Lower red cell folate levels were associated with caseness on the GHQ-12 (adjusted prevalence ratio 0.99 per 100 nmol/l red cell folate, 95% CI 0.98 to 1.00). No relationship was found between red cell folate levels and incident depressive symptoms over 2 years (adjusted hazard ratio 1.00, 95% CI 0.97 to 1.03). Conclusions: Low folate levels were not associated with subsequent depressive symptoms. This suggests that lower blood folate levels may be a consequence rather than a cause of depressive symptoms.

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  • Other studies provide promising preliminary data on feasibility, tolerability, and efficacy of omega-3 in perinatal depression.

    “Other studies have provided promising preliminary data regarding feasibility, tolerability, and efficacy in perinatal depression [36,37].”

    From Complementary and alternative medicine therapies for perinatal depression (2014) · cites this paper as [37]

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  1. [7]Bjelland I Tell GS Vollset SE Folate, vitamin B12, homocysteine, and the MTHFR 677C->T polymorphism in anxiety and depression: the Hordaland Homocysteine Study Arch Gen Psychiatry 2003 60 618 626 12796225
  2. [13]Tolmunen T Hintikka J Ruusunen A Voutilainen S Tanskanen A Valkonen VP Dietary Folate and the Risk of Depression in Finnish Middle-Aged Men. A Prospective Follow-up Study Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics 2004 73 334 339 15479987
  3. [18]Taylor MJ Carney S Geddes J, et al. Folate for depressive disorders (Cochrane Review). The Cochrane Library. Issue 3 ed. John Wiley & Sons; Chichester: 2004
  4. [23]Kessler D Lloyd K Lewis G Pereira Gray D Cross sectional study of symptom attribution and recognition of depression and anxiety in primary care Br Med J 1999 318 436 440 9974461 PMC27737

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Authors
Kendrick, T., Dunn, N., Robinson, S., Oestmann, A., Godfrey, K., Cooper, C., Inskip, H., & the Southampton Women’s Survey Study Group
Affiliations
  • University of Southampton (GB)
  • Southampton General Hospital (GB)
Corresponding author
Kendrick, T
ORCID
Venue
Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health
Publisher
BMJ
Published
2008-10-14
Volume
62
Issue
11
Pages
966-972
ISSN
  • 0141-7681 (ISSN-L)
  • 0143-005X
  • 1470-2738
DOI
10.1136/jech.2007.069765
PMC
PMC4558940
OpenAlex
W2116570188
Cited by
29
References
22
Citations by year
2026: 2 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2021: 1 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 3 · 2015: 1 · 2014: 1 · 2013: 2 · 2012: 7
FWCI
2.08
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • ePrints Soton (University of Southampton) (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Rheumatology › Folate and B Vitamins Research
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Biological Psychiatry › Tryptophan and brain disorders
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology › Treatment of Major Depression
Keywords
blood folate, red blood cell folate, depressive symptoms, depression, young women, Southampton Women's Survey, incident depression, causal inference, folate deficiency
MeSH terms
Adult, Anxiety, Depression, England, Erythrocytes, Female, Folic Acid, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Surveys and Questionnaires, Biomarkers, Proportional Hazards Models, Young Adult

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