During the 40 weeks after receiving a brief course of ω-3 (“omega three”) polyunsaturated fatty acids, adolescents at risk for psychotic disorders were less likely to progress to psychotic status than similar peers who did not receive the supplement. In the study by G. Paul Amminger and colleagues, the youths in the treated group also had fewer positive, negative, and general symptoms of psychosis and improved overall functioning than those in the control group.
The youths in the treated group received a supplement of two fish-oil capsules twice a day for 12 weeks, and the controls received a placebo of coconut-oil capsules. The researchers then monitored their status and symptoms for the following 40 weeks.
Although the study enrolled only 81 participants (76 completed the study), it is noteworthy because the methods are solid (e.g., random assignment, double-blind, placebo-control) and the outcomes are clear (both treated and control youths were at “ultra-high risk” of displaying psychosis). Replications with larger samples are needed before &omega-3 supplements can be recommended for individuals who manifest the early symptoms of psychosis.
Read the abstract of the report by Dr. Amminger and colleagues. See the US National Institutes of Health Clinical Trials data base entry for the study and the Science Daily article, “Fish Oil May Reduce the Risk of Psychotic Disorders in High-Risk Individuals.”
Amminger, G. P., Schäfer, M. R., Papgeorgiou, K., Klier, C. M., Cotton, S. M., Harrigan… & Berger, G. E. (2010). Long-chain ω-3 fatty acids for indicated prevention of psychotic disorders: A randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Archives of General Psychiatry, 67, 146-154.
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