Short-term supplementation of acute long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids may alter depression status and decrease symptomology among young adults with depression: A preliminary randomized and placebo controlled trial

Ginty, Annie T.; Conklin, Sarah M.

doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2015.05.072

Short-term supplementation of acute long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids may alter depression status and decrease symptomology among young adults with depression: A preliminary randomized and placebo controlled trial

Persistent URL

http://hdl.handle.net/10456/40018

Author(s)

Ginty, Annie T.

Conklin, Sarah M.

Date Issued

June 27, 2015

Abstract

The current study examined the psychological effects of acute and low-dose long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs) supplementation on young adults with depressive symptoms. Participants (N=23, M age (SD)=20.2 (1.25), 78% female), with a Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) score of greater than 10, were randomly assigned to a placebo (corn oil) or LCPUFAs group (1.4 g of eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaeonic acids) and were instructed to consume the assigned capsules daily for 21-days. BDI was completed prior to supplementation and at day 21. Group differences in depression status on day 21 were analyzed using chi-square tests. After 21-days of supplementation, there was a significant difference in depression status between groups. 67% of the LCPUFAs no longer met criteria for being depressed, while only 20% in the placebo group were no longer depressed. A mixed ANOVA revealed a significant group x time interaction for BDI scores. Post-hoc analyses revealed the LCPFUAs group had a significant reduction in BDI scores over time, while the placebo group's scores did not significantly change. These findings suggest that LCPUFAs may alter depression and depressive symptomology in young adults in a relatively short amount of time.

Journal

Psychiatry Research

Department

Global Health Studies

Neuroscience

Psychology

Citation

Ginty, Annie T. and Sarah M. Conklin. 2015. "Short-term supplementation of acute long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids may alter depression status and decrease symptomology among young adults with depression: A preliminary randomized and placebo controlled trial." Psychiatry Research 229, no. 1: 485-489.

Publisher

Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

Version of Article

Published Article

DOI

10.1016/j.psychres.2015.05.072

ISSN

0165-1781

1872-7123

Rights

Subjects

Omega-3 fatty acids

Depression

Undergraduates

File(s)

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2015-06-27_Conklin_Short-term_Access_Instructions.pdf

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Access Instructions

Size

77.04 KB

Format

Adobe PDF

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