Abstract
Background: Incidence of psychomotor and psychiatric illness has promoted an awareness regarding the mental and emotional well-being as an important criterion of health. Research on depression is one of the important researches in psychiatric medicine. Negative reactions to life's situations become repetitively intense and frequent leading to symptoms of depression. Aim: A study on changes between antioxidant levels in cases of depression. Method: It was a Case Control Observational Study. The patients newly diagnosed by psychiatrist & having depression were assessed with Hamilton's depression scale are included in the study. The controls were free from depression. The blood sample was collected from each case and control at fasting. Serum Malondialdehyde (MDA), Serum Tocopherol (Vitamin-E) Serum Ascorbic acid (Vitamin-C) levels were estimated. Result: Category I: Group I, II, III MDA levels were 2.02±0.16, 2.02±0.16, 2.02±0.15 respectively. In Category II: Group I, II, III MDA levels were 6.28±0.77, 5.31±1.33, 5.74±1.13 respectively. Category I: Group I, II, III Vit E levels were 11.27 ± 1.21, 10.99 ± 1.03, 11.44 ± 1.20 respectively. In Category II: Group I, II, III Vit E levels were 9.92 ± 1.14, 10.44 ± 1.35, 10.21 ± 1.30respectively. Category I: Group I, II, III Vit C levels were 0.87 ± 0.06, 0.89 ± 0.14, 0.89 ± 0.06respectively. In Category II: Group I, II, III Vit C levels were 0.82±0.01, 0.82±0.01, 0.82±0.01 respectively. Conclusion: There is a significant difference between mean values of height & weight in Category I and Category II. Thus, the decreased antioxidant levels in depression cases show marked oxidant - antioxidant imbalance with evidence of increased oxidative stress.
KEYWORDS: Psychiatric illness; Serum Malondialdehyde; Serum Tocopherol; Serum ascorbic acid.