Journal
AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY
Volume 42, Issue 3, Pages 199-205Publisher
SAGE PUBLICATIONS LTD
DOI: 10.1080/00048670701827267
Keywords
depression; omega-3 fatty acids; perinatal period; post-partum period
Categories
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Objective: Epidemiological, biological marker and treatment studies, as well as neuroscientific theories, indicate a possible link between omega-3 fatty acids and perinatal depression (PND). Hence the aim of the present study was to assess whether omega-3 fatty acid treatment is superior to placebo in the treatment of PND. Method: A double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial was undertaken. Women with major depression during the perinatal period received either fish oil or placebo for six weeks. Changes in depression scores were recorded weekly. Results: A total of 26 subjects were recruited and there was no significant difference in depression scores between those receiving fish oil and those receiving the placebo. Conclusions: This is formally a negative study, suggesting that there is no benefit for omega-3 fatty acids over placebo in treating PND. The reason could be that the study was underpowered due to recruitment difficulties and therefore we suggest that it may be unwise to interpret this result as conclusive. Omega-3 is a natural product that is a safe and well-tolerated treatment. Further research is therefore needed in this area to establish whether omega-3 fatty acids are an effective treatment for PND.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available