Vitamin B12 screening at the psychiatric inpatient unit at HMC, Qatar quality improvement project
Vitamin B12 screening at the psychiatric inpatient unit at HMC, Qatar quality improvement project

Summary/Abstract: Background and purpose Vitamin B12 has been the subject of numerous studies since the discovery of vitamin B compounds in 1974. It is essential for optimal neurological functioning and its deficiency results in neurological and psychiatric diseases, ranging from mild presentations of numbness and tingling to severe mood and cognitive impairment. This is demonstrated in Penninx et al., a prospective cohort study with a sample of 700 disabled, non-demented community-dwelling women with low B12 levels had a twofold risk of severe depression. The findings are consistent with the results of The Rotterdam study, a population-based study that reported that elderly persons with a deficiency in vitamin B12 levels are more likely to have depression. Similarly, a link between depression and low B12 has been reported in Jae-Min Kim et al., indicating that it may be a risk factor for late onset depression.

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