Evaluation of Serum Levels of Vitamin D, Ferritin, and Hemoglobin in Suicide Attempters Admitted or Outpatients Referred to Hospitals and Psychiatric Clinics of Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences

Suicide occurs due to a variety of causes, from heredity and biological factors to environmental factors. The present study aimed to evaluate the serum levels of vitamin D, ferritin, and hemoglobin in patients with attempted suicide referring to hospitals and compare them with the control group.

A comparison was made between the serum levels of vitamin D, ferritin, and hemoglobin of 60 suicidal patients referring to Ali ibn Abitaleb hospital of Rafsanjan from March to september 2020 and those of 60 relatives of selected patients with no history of suicide. The control group completed the Beck Suicide Thought Questionnaire (BSTQ). Chi-square, ANOVA, independent t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, and Kruskal-Wallis statistical tests were used to analyze the data.

The serum level of vitamin D in Patient with attempted suicide was lower, compared to that in controls (P=0.025). Among the age group of 15-35 years, serum levels of vitamin D were lower than those in the control group (P=0.039). Moreover, serum ferritin level in the attempted suicide group was lower than that in the control group (P=0.003). Serum ferritin level was significantly lower among the suidide attempters aged 15-15 years (P= 0.003), men with attempted suicide (P= 0.003) and suicidal women (P= 0.045), as compared to the control group.

As demonstratedd by the results of the present study, vitamin D deficiency and anemia can be two major risk factors for suicide. Therefore, it is necessary to identify and treat these deficiencies in people with psychological disorders, such as depression.