Vitamin D Supplementation in Psychiatric Illnesses

In this 8-week open label trial, we will enroll 10 subjects who fulfill the Inclusion Criteria.

Inclusion criteria

• Males/females between the ages 10 through 18 years,
• Subjects with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fourth Edition (DSM-IV)[62] Axis 1 diagnosis who are on treatment with SGA. These conditions include schizophrenia, schizo-affective disorder, and psychosis,
• Subjects who have gained 10% of their pre-drug body weight while receiving the following SGAs: risperidone, aripiprazole, clozapine, quetiapine and olanzapine. Subjects could be taking other psychotropic agents, but only one SGA,
• All subjects will be able to take the prescribed vitamin D by mouth,
• All subjects will have a 25-hydroxyvitamin D level of < 32 ng/mL,
• All subjects must reside in an in-patient psychiatric facility.

Exclusion criteria

• Pregnant or lactating women,
• Patients with mental retardation (intelligence quotient < 50),
• Subjects with specific systemic diseases such as diabetes mellitus, liver and kidney diseases,
• Subjects with known history of parathyroid disorder,
• Subjects with acquired or congenital disorders of vitamin D metabolism,
• Subjects on calcium and vitamin D replacement therapy, such as calcium carbonate, or ergocalciferol, or cholecalciferol,
• Subjects taking any weight loss medications, such as orlistat, and sibutramine,
• Subjects on medications that might affect glucose levels, such as insulin or metformin.