Abstract
- Background
The results of human studies are inconsistent regarding the relationship between selenium and depressive disorders. Therefore, this study aimed to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational and interventional studies to provide an overview of the role of selenium in depression.
- Methods
A comprehensive search was performed across Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, the WHO Global Index Medicus, and ClinicalTrials.gov (up to April 12, 2021) without language or time restrictions. Pooled effect sizes were calculated using a random-effects model. A total of 20 studies were included in the systematic review, with 15 studies quantitatively analyzed in the meta-analysis.
- Results
No significant differences in serum selenium levels were found between patients with depression and healthy controls ($\text{WMD}$: $2.12\text{ }\mu\text{g/L}$; $95\%\text{ CI}$: $-0.11, 4.36$; $I^2 = 98.0\%$). Similarly, no significant correlation was observed between serum selenium levels and depression scores ($r = -0.12$; $95\%\text{ CI}$: $-0.33, 0.08$; $I^2 = 73.5\%$). However, high dietary selenium intake was significantly associated with a reduced risk of postpartum depression ($\text{OR}$: $0.97$; $95\%\text{ CI}$: $0.95, 0.99$; $I^2 = 0.0\%$). Furthermore, interventional trials demonstrated that selenium supplementation significantly reduced depressive symptoms compared to controls ($\text{WMD}$: $-0.37$; $95\%\text{ CI}$: $-0.56, -0.18$; $I^2 = 0.0\%$).
- Conclusions
Selenium appears to play a protective role against postpartum depression and represents a beneficial adjuvant therapy for reducing depressive symptoms in patients with depression. Further large-scale studies are necessary to establish definitive clinical guidelines.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8776795/