Mental Health

Omega 3 Lowers Antisocial Behavior In Children, Says Report

By Dheeraj Rawal | Update Date: May 18, 2016 06:32 AM EDT

With the latest study reports, published in The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, suggests that intake of Omega-3 fatty acids might not necessarily reduce childhood aggression, its other effects on the children are also not known. Few reports have indicated that the researchers have no clue whether the intake of the fatty acids helps to eradicate the antisocial behavior in children permanently or not.

"At the first check-in, participants getting the combination of CBT and omega-3s reported less aggression than the control group and the therapy-only group," reported Medical Daily. "By the final check-in, however, any positive effects had dissipated. What remains unknown is whether continued use of omega-3s would lead to a long-term reduction in antisocial behavior."

Primarily, the experiments conducted by the researchers at the University of Pennsylvania revealed that the Omega-3 acids helped to reduce the child aggression and antisocial behavior. But, the study results negated in few months' time.

Even the researchers have admitted that the study had many limitations in itself. Nature World News reported that one of the reasons for the negative results was due to the discrepancy between the parent and the child's behavior.

Meanwhile, Science Daily reported that the research study involved 300 children in the age group 11 to 12 with excessive aggression. These children were divided into four groups and the effect of Omega-3 was observed for a period of six months.

"The first group took omega-3 juice, multivitamins, and calcium for three months," reported Parent Herald. "The second group took part in weekly cognitive behavioral therapy divided between time with the child, parent and both together. The third group had supplements and CBT while the last group was given information and resources that aimed to lower their aggression. The researchers took blood samples to measure the omega-3 levels in every participant at the beginning and the end of the study."

One of the supervisors of the clinical trial, Therese Richmond, revealed additional details of the study process. "Sessions focused on the links between thoughts, feelings and behaviors and also practicing alternative actions the children could take to deal with difficult situations rather than to emotionally react to something," said Richmond, as reported by Psych Central. "It helped the children to build a toolbox of ways to interact with others."

Nevertheless, with the news of Omega-3 usage to control children's aggressive behavior trending all over the internet, there are reports that the childhood aggression problem can also be treated using psychosocial therapy and pharmacotherapy.

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