© 2007 The Royal College of Psychiatrists
Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation in patients with recurrent self-harm
Single-centre double-blind randomised controlled trial
Department of Psychiatry, Beaumont Hospital and The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland
Laboratory of Membrane Biochemistry and Biophysics, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Rockville, Maryland, USA
Institute of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Illinois, USA
Department of Psychiatry, Beaumont Hospital and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Ireland.
Correspondence: Dr Malcolm R. Garland, St Ita’s Hospital, Portrane, County Dublin, Ireland. Email: mgarland{at}ireland.com
Declaration of interest Pronova (now Epax) AS, Lysaker, Norway, provided the active preparation and placebo but were not otherwise involved in the study. Funding detailed in Acknowledgements.
See pp.
112–117, this
issue.
Background Trials have demonstrated benefits of long-chain omega-3 essential fatty acid (n-3 EFA) supplementation in a variety of psychiatric disorders.
Aims To assess the efficacy of n-3 EFAs in improving psychological well-being in patients with recurrent self-harm.
Method Patients (n=49) presenting after an act of repeated self-harm were randomised to receive 1.2 g eicosapentaenoic acid plus 0.9 g decosahexaenoic acid (n=22) or placebo (n=27) for 12 weeks in addition to standard psychiatric care. Six psychological domains were measured at baseline and end point.
Results At 12 weeks, the n-3 EFA group had significantly greater improvements in scores for depression, suicidality and daily stresses. Scores for impulsivity, aggression and hostility did not differ.
Conclusions Supplementation achieved substantial reductions in surrogate markers of suicidal behaviour and improvements in well-being. Larger studies are warranted to determine if insufficient dietary intake of n-3 EFAs is a reversible risk factor for self-harm.
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