Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation in patients with recurrent self-harm

Study answer

What this study found

Omega-3 supplementation was associated with better psychological outcomes than placebo over 12 weeks, especially for depression and perceived stress. BDI scores improved significantly in the n-3 EFA group (P=0.004), and more patients achieved greater than 50% and greater than 70% symptom reduction (both P=0.001); perceived daily stress also fell more than with placebo (P=0.021), with a significant 50% response (P=0.006) and greater DHUS improvement (P=0.027). Suicidality outcomes also favored treatment, with no suicidal ideation reported on the OAS-M suicidality sub-scale in the n-3 EFA…

Study & population

Placebo-controlled trial in adults aged 16 to 64 years presenting with self-harm and a history of prior self-harm, recruited from the accident and emergency department of Beaumont Hospital in Dublin, Ireland.

Intervention

The active regimen was EPAX 5500 omega-3 capsules providing 305 mg EPA and 227 mg DHA per capsule, four capsules daily for a total of 2128 mg/day of EPA plus DHA, taken in the morning for 12 weeks.

Key limitation

This was a small, single-center study with only 22 participants in the active arm and a 12-week follow-up, which limits precision and generalizability.

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Original abstract