ω-3 Fatty Acids in Pediatric Major Depressive Disorder

Does adding 1.5 g of ω-3 fatty acids to multimodal treatment improve outcomes in children and adolescents with moderate to severe pediatric major depressive disorder (MDD)?In a 36-week randomized clinical trial with 257 participants, ω-3 fatty acids showed no significant benefit over placebo in depression severity, response and remission rates, quality of life, or antidepressant use. Adherence was high, and adverse event rates were similar between groups; approximately one-half of participants still met criteria for moderate to severe pediatric MDD despite treatment.These findings do not support the use of 1.5 g of ω-3 fatty acids as adjunctive therapy for pediatric MDD.

Corresponding Author: Gregor Berger, MD, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Psychiatric University Hospital, University of Zürich, Neumünsterallee 9, Postfach 233, CH-8032 Zürich, Switzerland (gregor.berger@kjpd.uzh.ch).

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