Excellence Research, Vienna, Austria.
BMC Psychol. 2023 Aug 11;11(1):229. doi: 10.1186/s40359-023-01263-7.
The incidence of depression is increasing, despite continued advances in psychological and pharmacological interventions. New treatment approaches are urgently needed. Here we assess the effects on depression of individualized micronutrient supplementation, in concert with a standard set of lifestyle changes.
We conducted a small field-study with 17 participants in Austria. Patients with depression (n = 11) and healthy volunteers (n = 6) underwent laboratory serum analysis and filled out the DASS-21 and a questionnaire about their medical history and condition. The list of parameters to be tested in the serum analysis was derived from an expert heuristic compilation of factors known to influence depression, narrowed down to a workable list to be tested in this initial study. On the basis of the results, the participants (n = 17) received individualized recommendations for micronutrient supplementation, in collaboration with their treating physician. Participants followed the individual supplementation regime for two months, along with a standard set of lifestyle changes. After two months the laboratory serum analyses, the DASS-21, and the questionnaire were repeated.
All patients with micronutrient deficiencies were in the patient group; none of the healthy volunteers showed any micronutrient deficiencies. After two months of precision supplementation and lifestyle changes, all but one patient had recovered from their depression or had considerably improved. The one patient who didn't recover was the only one with a known trigger of their depression (trauma). Of 11 patients with depression, the trigger was unknown for the other ten.
These results have promising implications for further research, treatment, drug development, and public health. We propose that systematic screening of patients with symptoms of depression be developed for future research, medical care, and practice. Psychiatry and psychotherapy may see improved results once they no longer have to push against the underlying constraints of existing micronutrient deficiencies.
尽管心理和药物干预不断取得进展，但抑郁症的发病率仍在上升。急需新的治疗方法。在这里，我们评估了个性化微量营养素补充与一系列标准生活方式改变相结合对抑郁症的影响。
我们在奥地利进行了一项有 17 名参与者的小型现场研究。抑郁症患者（n=11）和健康志愿者（n=6）接受了实验室血清分析，并填写了 DASS-21 量表和一份关于他们的病史和病情的问卷。血清分析中要测试的参数列表是从影响抑郁症的已知因素的专家启发式综合中得出的，缩小到一个可行的列表，以便在这项初步研究中进行测试。根据结果，参与者（n=17）与他们的治疗医生合作，获得了个性化的微量营养素补充建议。参与者遵循个人补充方案两个月，同时进行一系列标准的生活方式改变。两个月后，重复进行实验室血清分析、DASS-21 量表和问卷。
所有有微量营养素缺乏的患者都在患者组；没有健康志愿者显示任何微量营养素缺乏。经过两个月的精准补充和生活方式改变，除了一名患者外，所有患者的抑郁症都已康复或有了显著改善。没有康复的患者是唯一有已知抑郁症触发因素（创伤）的患者。在 11 名抑郁症患者中，其他 10 名患者的触发因素未知。
这些结果对进一步的研究、治疗、药物开发和公共卫生具有有希望的意义。我们建议为未来的研究、医疗保健和实践开发对有抑郁症状患者的系统筛查。精神病学和心理治疗可能会看到更好的结果，一旦它们不再需要对抗现有微量营养素缺乏的潜在限制。
