Trial reportThe International journal of eating disorders2018
A pilot randomized controlled trial of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation for the treatment of anxiety in adolescents with anorexia nervosa.
Trial report in The International journal of eating disorders, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 16 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
16 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 29 citations in OpenAlex.
- Effects of microbiota-based interventions on depression and anxiety in children and adolescents-A systematic review.Journal of pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition · 2025Pooled it
- A Systematic Review of Psychobiotic Interventions in Children and Adolescents to Enhance Cognitive Functioning and Emotional Behavior.Nutrients · 2022Pooled it
- Psychobiotic interventions for anxiety in young people: a systematic review and meta-analysis, with youth consultation.Translational psychiatry · 2021Pooled it
- Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids: What is Their Role in Treatment of Psychiatric Disorders?International journal of molecular sciences · 2019Pooled it
- Indicators of improved emotion behavior in 6-14-year-old children following a 4-week placebo controlled prebiotic supplement intervention at home with a parent.Nutrition journal · 2025Trial
- Omega-3 fatty acids and autonomic function in adolescents with anorexia: A randomized trial.Pediatric research · 2022Trial
- Omega-3 fatty acids in mental disorders: from neurobiological and metabolic mechanisms to therapeutic potential.Frontiers in nutrition · 2026Review
- Impact of supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids after maternal dietary deficiency on adolescent anxiety and microglial morphology.Behavioral neuroscience · 2024Article
- Fatty Acids and Their Lipogenic Enzymes in Anorexia Nervosa Clinical Subtypes.International journal of molecular sciences · 2024Article
- Pharmacotherapy, alternative and adjunctive therapies for eating disorders: findings from a rapid review.Journal of eating disorders · 2023Review
- Omega-3 supplements in the prevention and treatment of youth depression and anxiety symptoms: A scoping review.PloS one · 2023Article
- Article
- Review
- Mental Health in Childhood and Adolescence: The Role of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids.Biomedicines · 2021Review
- Pharmacotherapeutic strategies for the treatment of anorexia nervosa - too much for one drug?Expert opinion on pharmacotherapy · 2020Review
- The emerging role of omega-3 fatty acids as a therapeutic option in neuropsychiatric disorders.Therapeutic advances in psychopharmacology · 2019Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
objectiveTo evaluate the effectiveness and tolerability of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) supplementation for treatment of trait anxiety among adolescent females with restrictive anorexia nervosa (AN).
methodA pilot double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized trial of adolescent females with AN (N = 24) entering Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) from January 2015 to February 2016. Participants were randomized to four daily PUFA (2,120 mg eicosapentaenoic acid/600 mg docosohexaenoic acid) or placebo capsules for 12 weeks. A 9-item questionnaire of side effect frequency assessed medication tolerability. The Beck Anxiety Inventory-Trait measured anxiety at baseline, 6, and 12 weeks. Linear mixed models evaluated associations between randomization group and study outcomes. Twenty-two and 18 participants completed 6 and 12 weeks of data collection, respectively.
resultsMedication side effect scores were low and were not significantly different between randomization groups at Week 6 (p = .20) or 12 (p = .41). Mean trait anxiety score significantly (p < .01) decreased from baseline to 12 weeks in both groups, and the rate of change over the course of time did not differ between omega-3 PUFA and placebo groups (p = .55).
conclusionOmega-3 PUFA supplementation was well tolerated in adolescent females with AN. Although power to detect differences was limited, we found no evidence that omega-3 PUFA benefited anxiety beyond nutritional restoration.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.