A small, double-blind, placebo-controlled study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry (2006; 163(6):1098–1100) examined omega-3 fatty acid supplementation and childhood depression. Other studies have looked at omega-3 fatty acids in adult major depressive disorder, the authors planned a pilot study of omega-3 fatty acids in childhood major depression. Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to help reduce inflammation.
The study included 20 children between the ages of 6 and 12 who were diagnosed with depression and were randomly assigned to receive either an omega-3 fatty acid supplement or a placebo. Depression severity was assessed using the Children’s Depression Rating Scale, the Children’s Depression Inventory, and the Clinical Global Impression scale at baseline and again at weeks 2, 4, 8, 12, and 16. By the end of the study, 70% of the children receiving omega-3 supplementation showed at least a 50% reduction in depression scores, compared with the placebo group.
