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Lipids and polyunsaturated fatty acid levels in deliberate self-harm: a 10-year follow-up study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 October 2016

A. T. Gallagher ,
F. Byrne ,
I. T. Murray ,
J. Lally ,
J. M. Davis ,
M. Garland ,
J. R. Hibbeln  and
B. Hallahan
A. T. Gallagher
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Clinical Science Institute, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland
F. Byrne
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Clinical Science Institute, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland
I. T. Murray
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Roscommon County Hospital, Roscommon, Ireland
J. Lally
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Clinical Science Institute, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London and National Psychosis Service, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
J. M. Davis
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL, USA
M. Garland
Affiliation:
Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, St Ita’s Hospital Portrane, County Dublin, Ireland
J. R. Hibbeln
Affiliation:
Section on Nutritional Neurosciences, LMBB, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Rockville, MD, USA
B. Hallahan*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Clinical Science Institute, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland
*
*Address for correspondence: Dr B. Hallahan, MMedSci, MD, MRCPsych, Consultant Psychiatrist and Senior Lecturer in Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Clinical Science Institute, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland. (Email: brian.hallahan@nuigalway.ie)
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Abstract

Objectives

To evaluate if n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and lipid levels are associated with episodes of self-harm or depression over a 10-year period.

Methods

We included 40 individuals who self-harmed and 40 controls. Episodes of self-harm and depression were ascertained and levels of depression, impulsivity, suicidal ideation and plasma lipid levels measured at baseline and at 10-year follow-up.

Results

Further episode(s) of self-harm occurred in 26% of cases. Omega-3 PUFAs or lipids were not predictive of depressive or self-harm episodes. Baseline eicosapentaenoic acid levels were modestly correlated with suicidal ideation at follow-up and dihomo-γ-linolenic acid and arachidonic acid were modestly correlated with motor impulsivity at follow-up in cases.

Conclusions

Despite significant negative correlations at baseline between plasma lipids, n-3 PUFAs and psychopathology, these levels were not predictive of clinical outcome over a 10-year period. Further research however is required due to the relatively low sample size and the risk of selection bias due to loss to follow-up in this study.

Keywords

Deliberate self-harmdepressionomega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids
Type
Original Research
Information
Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine , Volume 34 , Issue 2 , June 2017 , pp. 117 - 126
Copyright
© College of Psychiatrists of Ireland 2016 

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