Led by Queen’s University Belfast, the longitudinal study, using data from the University of Bristol's Children of the 90s, examined how blood levels of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids, as well as a specific omega-3 fatty acid called docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), changed over time.

Working in collaboration with researchers from the University of Cambridge and RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, the aim was to identify if, and how, these variations were related to the development of symptoms of psychosis in young adults aged 24.

Researchers tracked the participants, who are part of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), also known as ‘Children of the 90s’, from childhood into adulthood.

The fatty acid levels were measured in the blood tests collected from the participants throughout their lives, at the specific ages of 7, 15, 17 and 24 years old.

The findings reveal that those with persistently higher levels of omega-6 compared to omega-3 fatty acids in their blood, as well as consistently low DHA levels, had more psychotic experiences at age 24 compared to people whose levels remained average over this time period.  Psychotic experiences include thoughts of paranoia or hearing sounds others cannot.

In addition, these participants also showed greater negative symptoms of psychosis. Negative symptoms include experiencing a loss of interest in activities, flattening of emotions and social withdrawal.

Read the full University of Bristol news story

Paper: ‘Longitudinal trajectories of plasma polyunsaturated fatty acids and associations with psychosis spectrum outcomes in early adulthood’ by David Mongan et al. in Biological Psychiatry [open access]