Posted on February 2, 2010 - by David
Fish Oil the Latest in Psychiatric Treatment?
This article summarizes the results of a study from the University of Melbourne, which suggests that the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil may help prevent psychosis in adolescents and young adults who have been identified as “at-risk.”
The study involved 81 individuals ages 13-25 “who met at least one of the following three criteria: having low-level psychotic symptoms; having transient psychotic symptoms; or having a schizophrenia-like personality disorder or a close relative with schizophrenia, along with a sharp decline in mental function within the past year.”
For 12 weeks, half the group was given fish oil capsules and the other half recieved placebo. Participants were then monitored for next 40 weeks. Only 2 of the 41 people given fish oil developed a psychotic disorder compared to 11 of 40 of the placebo group. The omega-3 group also “also showed significant reductions in their psychotic symptoms and improvements in function.” The researchers hope to replicate the findings in a multicenter trial involving 320 people.
Certainly, the lack of adverse side effects compared to the commonly used anti-psychotic medications would make this treatment a much preferred choice for patients. While these findings are definitely positive, it was a very small and relatively short-term study, so further research is obviously needed to determine the value of fish oil as a treatment or preventitive measure for serious mental illness. Also, this once again highlights how little is understood about what is happening in the brain of the schizophrenic patient. The article mentions some of the potential reasons this novel treatment may be effective:
There are a number of mechanisms through which omega-3s could protect the brain, Amminger said; they are a major component of brain cells. They are also key to the proper function of two brain chemical signaling systems, dopamine and serotonin, which have been implicated in schizophrenia. Fish oil also boosts levels of glutathione, an antioxidant that protects the brain against oxidative stress.
In the quest to understand the cause and progression of this illness, nearly every neurotransmitter and every part of the brain has been implicated in some way or another. While hopefully this study will lead to new ways of dealing with the symptoms of schizophrenia without the devastating side-effects of many commonly prescribed drugs, it seems to be another example of a “scientific” answer which amounts to, “this might work, and if it does, these might be some of the reasons why.”
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February 2, 2010
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Michael Lo Stracco said:
I can’t speak to the alleviation of psychotic symptoms, but I will say that having taken Fish Oil (Omega-3s) capsules for a couple months now, I do recognize an increased acuity of cognitive processing capabilities, attention span, focus, and over-all wellness. However, this has been accompanied by a consistent workout routine, good sleep and dedicated meditation practices, so who knows; it’s a comprehensive approach!
I have been told by a friend who studies nutrition that an increase in certain vitamin and mineral intakes (including all the Omega fatty acids) is extremely beneficial to the brain, as well as other organs. But in your opinion, how does this study reckon with the idea of the cultural-shaping of mental disorders? Clearly, there is a biochemical origin in the case of schizophrenia, among others, no?
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February 3, 2010
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David said:
It may help to read this post I wrote back in December in which I briefly summarize my understanding of Liah Greenfeld’s theory of mental illness. The short answer is that while Greenfeld absolutely recognizes schizophrenia and other mental illnesses as biochemically real, she sees culture as the primary cause of mental illness. While many sociologists and anthropologists are working to demonstrate, (as you suggest with your question), how culture shapes mental disorders, Greenfeld goes a giant step beyond anyone I’ve come across by claiming that culture doesn’t just shape but actually causes mental illness. This controversial theory is one of the main reasons that this blog exists, so don’t think I’ll let this very incomplete response stand for long.
My view on the fish oil treatment is pretty much the same as my view on all psychiatric medication – if it helps regulate or restore normal brain function in some way, it very well may be helpful in dealing with the symptoms or slowing the course of mental illness. But I think the fact that many studies have shown that medication is not nearly as effective alone as when combined with therapy suggests that mental illness is much more than a brain malfunction. If the mind – as Greenfeld describes it, the individualized cultural process which takes place in the brain- is not set right, then simply tweaking brain chemistry is unlikely to solve the whole problem.