VITAMIN D DEFICIENCY AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING IN KERALA: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF MENTAL HEALTH OUTCOMES, EMOTIONAL RESILIENCE, COGNITIVE REAPPRAISAL, NEUROTICISM, AND LOCUS OF CONTROL
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.69980/8dba3w66Keywords:
Vitamin D deficiency, psychological well-being, mental health, emotional resilience, cognitive reappraisal, neuroticism, locus of control, depression, anxiety, KeralaAbstract
Vitamin D deficiency has emerged as a major public health concern across the world, affecting individuals across age, gender, region, and socioeconomic status. Although vitamin D has traditionally been understood in relation to calcium absorption, bone mineralization, and skeletal health, recent research has increasingly emphasized its role in brain functioning, emotional regulation, cognitive processes, immune modulation, and psychological well-being. The presence of vitamin D receptors in several brain regions involved in mood regulation, stress response, memory, and executive functioning has encouraged growing scholarly interest in the psychological implications of vitamin D deficiency. India presents a unique public health paradox because vitamin D deficiency remains highly prevalent despite abundant sunlight exposure. Kerala, a tropical state with year-round sunlight and relatively strong health indicators, offers a particularly important context for examining this paradox. Changing lifestyles, indoor occupations, urbanization, academic pressures, reduced outdoor activity, dietary transitions, and sun-avoidance behaviors may contribute to persistent vitamin D deficiency among Kerala populations. This systematic review aims to synthesize existing literature on the association between vitamin D deficiency and psychological well-being, with specific attention to depression, anxiety, emotional resilience, cognitive reappraisal, neuroticism, and locus of control. The review adopts a systematic literature-based approach guided by PRISMA principles and draws upon studies published between 2000 and 2024. Existing evidence suggests that low vitamin D status is associated with increased depressive symptoms, anxiety, psychological distress, cognitive vulnerability, reduced emotional resilience, maladaptive emotion regulation, and poorer quality of life. However, Kerala-specific psychological research remains limited. The review highlights the need for interdisciplinary research integrating nutrition, psychology, psychiatry, and public health. Addressing vitamin D deficiency may offer a low-cost, preventive strategy for improving psychological well-being and mental health outcomes.
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