ArticleThe Journal of clinical psychiatry2011
Suicide deaths of active-duty US military and omega-3 fatty-acid status: a case-control comparison.
Article in The Journal of clinical psychiatry, 2011. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 53 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
53 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 119 citations in OpenAlex.
- Effects of Omega 3 Fatty Acids on Main Dimensions of Psychopathology.International journal of molecular sciences · 2020Pooled it
- Suicide risk around the world: a meta-analysis of longitudinal studies.Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology · 2019Pooled it
- Biological risk factors for suicidal behaviors: a meta-analysis.Translational psychiatry · 2016Pooled it
- Low 5HTJournal of neurochemistry · 2026Review
- Changes of fatty acid metabolism in FA 26:0, FA 22:2 and FA 24:1 are associated with leukoaraiosis in the elderly.BMC geriatrics · 2026Article
- The association between plasma omega-3 fatty acids and suicidal ideation/self-harm in the United Kingdom Biobank.Lipids in health and disease · 2025Observational
- Ultraprocessed foods consumption, inflammatory index levels, and risk of suicide attempt: findings from a prospective cohort study.The American journal of clinical nutrition · 2025Article
- Relationship between biological rhythm dysregulation and suicidal ideation in patients with major depressive disorder.BMC psychiatry · 2024Article
- Article
- Potential Suicide Prophylactic Activity by the Fish Oil Metabolite, 4-Hydroxyhexenal.International journal of molecular sciences · 2022Article
- A Food-Based Intervention in a Military Dining Facility Improves Blood Fatty Acid Profile.Nutrients · 2022Article
- International society of sports nutrition position stand: tactical athlete nutrition.Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition · 2022Article
- Suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and suicide death among Veterans and service members: A comprehensive meta-analysis of risk factors.Military psychology : the official journal of the Division of Military Psychology, American Psychological Association · 2022Article
- Indirect effects of soldier healthy eating and physical activity on suicidal ideation through psychological health symptoms in active-duty military.Military psychology : the official journal of the Division of Military Psychology, American Psychological Association · 2022Article
- Psychoneuroimmunology: The new frontier in suicide research.Brain, behavior, & immunity - health · 2021Article
- Serum Fatty Acid Latent Classes Are Associated With Suicide in a Large Military Personnel Sample.The Journal of clinical psychiatry · 2021Article
- Relationships between inflammatory markers and suicide risk status in major depression.Journal of psychiatric research · 2021Article
- Mental Health Care Utilization and Psychiatric Diagnoses in a Sample of Military Suicide Decedents and Living Matched Controls.The Journal of nervous and mental disease · 2020Article
- The Importance of Marine Omega-3s for Brain Development and the Prevention and Treatment of Behavior, Mood, and Other Brain Disorders.Nutrients · 2020Review
- Lipids and Suicide Risk.Current topics in behavioral neurosciences · 2020Article
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundThe recent escalation of US military suicide deaths to record numbers has been a sentinel for impaired force efficacy and has accelerated the search for reversible risk factors.
objectiveTo determine whether deficiencies of neuroactive, highly unsaturated omega-3 essential fatty acids (n-3 HUFAs), in particular docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), are associated with increased risk of suicide death among a large random sample of active-duty US military.
methodIn this retrospective case-control study, serum fatty acids were quantified as a percentage of total fatty acids among US military suicide deaths (n = 800) and controls (n = 800) matched for age, date of collection of sera, sex, rank, and year of incident. Participants were active-duty US military personnel (2002-2008). For cases, age at death ranged from 17-59 years (mean = 27.3 years, SD = 7.3 years). Outcome measures included death by suicide, postdeployment health assessment questionnaire (Department of Defense Form 2796), and ICD-9 mental health diagnosis data.
resultsRisk of suicide death was 14% higher per SD of lower DHA percentage (OR = 1.14; 95% CI, 1.02-1.27; P < .03) in adjusted logistic regressions. Among men, risk of suicide death was 62% greater with low serum DHA status (adjusted OR = 1.62; 95% CI, 1.12-2.34; P < .01, comparing DHA below 1.75% [n = 1,389] to DHA of 1.75% and above [n = 141]). Risk of suicide death was 52% greater in those who reported having seen wounded, dead, or killed coalition personnel (OR = 1.52; 95% CI, 1.11-2.09; P < .01).
conclusionThis US military population had a very low and narrow range of n-3 HUFA status. Although these data suggest that low serum DHA may be a risk factor for suicide, well-designed intervention trials are needed to evaluate causality.
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