ORIGINAL ARTICLE   

Minerva Psichiatrica 2017 September;58(3):156-61

DOI: 10.23736/S0391-1772.17.01934-3

Copyright © 2017 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Evaluating the effectiveness of zinc sulfate in improving depression symptoms in patients treated with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors in Golestan Hospital in Ahvaz, Iran

Masoumeh NAZARINASAB ¹, Forouzan BEHROUZIAN ¹, Reza SALMANPOUR ² ✉

¹ Department of Psychiatry, Golestan Hospital, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran; ² Student Research Committee, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran

BACKGROUND: Zinc deficiency causes many neurological and somatic symptoms, as well as many of the symptoms associated with depression. Several studies have shown that serum zinc concentrations significantly reduced in patients with depression. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of adding zinc to selective serotonin inhibitors and compare it with placebo in patients with depressive disorder.
METHODS: This double-blind clinical trial was conducted in 2016 in Golestan Hospital in Ahvaz, Iran. The patients were divided randomly into two groups of 30. One group received selective serotonin inhibitors (20-60 mg of citalopram or 50-200 mg of sertraline) plus zinc sulfate (25 mg daily), while the other group received selective inhibitors (20-60 mg of citalopram or 50-200 mg of sertraline) with placebo (25 mg of malt dextrose daily). The two groups were matched by demographic characteristics and type of antidepressant. The two groups were tested at weeks 2, 4, 6 and 8 to estimate the depression and functional levels, using the Beck Depression Inventory. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 22.
RESULTS: The mean age of the treatment and control groups was 38.38±10.93 and 38.52±10.98 years, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference between the groups with respect to age (P=0.96). In the treatment group, 31% were male and 69% were female, while in the control group, 41.1% were male and 58.6% were female. No significant relationship was observed between the groups in terms of gender (0.41). The mean Beck scores at weeks zero and eight were 35.70±5.69 and 13.24±3.50, respectively. These scores suggested a significant decrease in both groups (P=0.00). However, only in the second week of treatment, mean depression score was 27.58±6.67 in the treatment group vs. 31.10±5.52 in the control group, where it was significantly higher in the control group than the treatment group (P=0.03). This difference was not significant at weeks zero (P=0.45), four (P=0.36), six (P=0.2) and eight (P=0.76).
CONCLUSIONS: Zinc supplementation can be an effective option in the treatment of depressed patients, which in combination with selective serotonin inhibitors reduces depression.

KEY WORDS: Zinc - Depression - Serotonin uptake inhibitors - Introduction