Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Clinical Trial
. 2003 May;160(5):996-8.
doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.160.5.996.

A double-blind, placebo-controlled study of the omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid in the treatment of major depression

Lauren B Marangell  1 , James M Martinez, Holly A Zboyan, Barbara Kertz, H Florence Seung Kim, Lucy J Puryear
Affiliations
Clinical Trial

A double-blind, placebo-controlled study of the omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid in the treatment of major depression

Lauren B Marangell et al. Am J Psychiatry. 2003 May.

Abstract

Objective: This study was an evaluation of the omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) for the treatment of major depression.

Method: Thirty-six depressed patients were randomly assigned to receive DHA, 2 g/day, or placebo for 6 weeks. Response was defined a priori as a > or =50% reduction in the score on the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale. Thirty-five participants were evaluable; 18 received DHA, and 17 received placebo.

Results: Response rates were 27.8% in the DHA group and 23.5% in the placebo group. The difference in response rates between groups did not reach statistical significance.

Conclusions: This trial failed to show a significant effect of DHA monotherapy in subjects with major depression.

PubMed Disclaimer

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources