Overall, more research is needed, but studies done so far are promising.
A significant body of work has been done on fish oil as both an add-on treatment and a stand-alone treatment for depression, says Dr. Mischoulon. “By and large, studies collectively support that taking omega-3s is effective and safe,” he says.
The problem is that there’s a lot of variability in how studies have been designed, in terms of dosing, the size of the study, and the source and formulation of the fish oil itself, so the conclusions of the research should be interpreted somewhat cautiously, Mischoulon explains. “There isn’t a clear idea of the optimal preparation or dose,” he says.