To screen or not to screen? Vitamin D deficiency in chronic mental illness

Abstract

Objectives: The objective of the current study was to examine the pathology test utilisation of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) within an Australian inpatient psychiatric setting. Method: A retrospective audit of 300 random hospital files of those admitted as inpatients between Nov 2014 and Nov 2015 was undertaken. Data was quantitatively analysed and described. Results: The number of inpatients who had a vitamin D determination during their admission was 37/300 (12.33%). The mean vitamin D level of those tested was 51.63 nmol/l. Of those that were tested, 18/37 (48.6%) were mildly to moderately deficient. There was a statistically significant difference in age and length of stay between those that were and were not tested for vitamin D levels, p-value <0.001 and 0.017, respectively. In addition, a simple linear regression indicated a weak association between length of stay and vitamin D levels. Conclusion: This audit highlights vitamin D screening inadequacy. More research is recommended to establish tangible benefits of supplementation, while local practice provides valuable data for education and policy purposes.