The impact of omega-3 fatty acids on depressive disorders and suicidality: Can we reconcile 2 studies with seemingly contradictory results?

Journal of Clinical Psychiatry

Volumn 72, Issue 12, 2011, Pages 1574-1576

  Mischoulon, David ^a  

^a MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL   (United States)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

DOCOSAHEXAENOIC ACID; ICOSAPENTAENOIC ACID; OMEGA 3 FATTY ACID; PLACEBO;

ATTENTION DEFICIT DISORDER; BIPOLAR DISORDER; BORDERLINE STATE; COMORBIDITY; DEPRESSION; DRUG EFFICACY; HUMAN; LIFESTYLE; MAJOR DEPRESSION; MONOTHERAPY; NOTE; OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER; PRIORITY JOURNAL; PSYCHOSIS; PUERPERAL DEPRESSION; SUICIDE;

EID: 84555194725     PISSN: 01606689     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.4088/JCP.11com07463     Document Type: Note

References (26)

1. Stoll AL, Severus WE, Freeman MP, et al. Omega 3 fatty acids in bipolar disorder: a preliminary double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1999;56(5):407-412. (Pubitemid 29215428)
2. Freeman MP, Hibbeln JR, Wisner KL, et al. Omega-3 fatty acids: evidence basis for treatment and future research in psychiatry. J Clin Psychiatry. 2006;67(12):1954-1967. (Pubitemid 46048194)
3. Fux M, Benjamin J, Nemets B. A placebo-controlled cross-over trial of adjunctive EPA in OCD. J Psychiatr Res. 2004;38(3):323-325. (Pubitemid 38299170)
4. Nemets H, Nemets B, Apter A, et al. Omega-3 treatment of childhood depression: a controlled, double-blind pilot study. Am J Psychiatry. 2006;163(6):1098-1100. (Pubitemid 44464498)
5. Wozniak J, Biederman J, Mick E, et al. Omega-3 fatty acid monotherapy for pediatric bipolar disorder: a prospective open-label trial. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol. 2007;17(6-7):440-447. (Pubitemid 46497662)
6. Lee S, Gura KM, Kim S, et al. Current clinical applications of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids. Nutr Clin Pract. 2006;21(4):323-341.
7. Appleton KM, Hayward RC, Gunnell D, et al. Effects of n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids on depressed mood: systematic review of published trials. Am J Clin Nutr. 2006;84(6):1308-1316. (Pubitemid 44912811)
8. Severus WE. Effects of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on depression. Herz. 2006;31(suppl 3):69-74.
9. Lin PY, Su KP. A meta-analytic review of double-blind, placebo- controlled trials of antidepressant efficacy of omega-3 fatty acids. J Clin Psychiatry. 2007;68(7):1056-1061. (Pubitemid 47340326)
10. Montgomery P, Richardson AJ. Omega-3 fatty acids for bipolar disorder. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2008;(2):CD005169.
11. Martins JG. EPA but not DHA appears to be responsible for the efficacy of omega-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation in depression: evidence from a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. J Am Coll Nutr. 2009;28(5):525-542.
12. Appleton KM, Rogers PJ, Ness AR. Updated systematic review and metaanalysis of the effects of n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids on depressed mood. Am J Clin Nutr. 2010;91(3):757-770.
13. Lin PY, Huang SY, Su KP. A meta-analytic review of polyunsaturated fatty acid compositions in patients with depression. Biol Psychiatry. 2010;68(2):140-147.
14. Freeman MP, Mischoulon D, Tedeschini E, et al. Complementary and alternative medicine for major depressive disorder: a meta-analysis of patient characteristics, placebo-response rates, and treatment outcomes relative to standard antidepressants. J Clin Psychiatry. 2010;71(6):682-688.
15. Sarris J, Mischoulon D, Schweitzer I. Omega-3 for bipolar disorder: meta-analyses of use in mania and bipolar depression [published online ahead of print August 9, 2011]. J Clin Psychiatry.
16. Sarris J, Mischoulon D, Schweitzer I. Adjunctive nutraceuticals with standard pharmacotherapies in bipolar disorder: a systematic review of clinical trials. Bipolar Disord. In press.
17. Pigott HE, Leventhal AM, Alter GS, et al. Efficacy and effectiveness of antidepressants: current status of research. Psychother Psychosom. 2010;79(5):267-279.
18. Marangell LB, Martinez JM, Zboyan HA, et al. A double-blind, placebo-controlled study of the omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid in the treatment of major depression. Am J Psychiatry. 2003;160(5):996-998. (Pubitemid 41079588)
19. Mischoulon D, Best-Popescu C, Laposata M, et al. A double-blind dose-finding pilot study of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) for major depressive disorder. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol. 2008;18(9):639-645.
20. Mischoulon D, Papakostas GI, Dording CM, et al. A double-blind, randomized controlled trial of ethyl-eicosapentaenoate for major depressive disorder. J Clin Psychiatry. 2009;70(12):1636-1644.
21. Politi P, Rocchetti M, Emanuele E, et al. Randomized placebo-controlled trials of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in psychiatric disorders: a review of current literature [published online ahead of print August 15, 2011]. Curr Drug Discov Technol.
22. Sublette ME, Segal-Isaacson CJ, Cooper TB, et al. Validation of a food frequency questionnaire to assess intake of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in subjects with and without major depressive disorder. J Am Diet Assoc. 2011;111(1):117-123.
23. Lewis MD, Hibbeln JR, Johnson JE, et al. Suicide deaths of active-duty US military and omega-3 fatty-acid status: a case-control comparison [published online ahead of print August 23, 2011]. J Clin Psychiatry. 2011;72(12):1585- 1590.
24. Sublette ME, Ellis SP, Geant AL, et al. Meta-analysis of the effects of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) in clinical trials in depression [published online ahead of print September 6, 2011]. J Clin Psychiatry. 2011;72(12):1577-1584.
25. Boardman AP, Healy D. Modelling suicide risk in affective disorders. Eur Psychiatry. 2001;16(7):400-405.
26. Oquendo MA, Ellis SP, Greenwald S, et al. Ethnic and sex differences in suicide rates relative to major depression in the United States. Am J Psychiatry. 2001;158(10):1652-1658.