Can a daily dose of omega-3 calm Australia’s prison population?
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That’s what University of Wollongong researchers plan to test in a landmark study involving 1000 inmates in six prisons in NSW and South Australia.
Among them will be the South Coast Correctional Centre at Nowra, where a pilot study has already been conducted – with some interesting findings.
‘’Prisoners were given either a fish oil tablet or a placebo, and we then took blood samples to measure their level of omega-3 fish oils,’’ lead researcher Barbara Meyer said.
‘’We found that prisoners with low levels of omega-3 had higher levels of aggressive behaviour, compared to those with higher levels of omega-3 who had lower levels of aggression.’’
UOW has been awarded a $1.8 million National Health and Medical Research Council grant to expand the study to include a four-month trial at the six facilities in 2017.
Associate Professor Meyer, from the School of Medicine, said omega-3 fatty acids – found in high concentrations in seafood – had a pivotal role in brain function.
‘’We know omega-3 increases the chemical messages within the brain which relate to how people act,’’ she said.
‘’If you think of a fuse for a bomb, omega-3 can lengthen the aggression fuse. So if you have low omega-3 levels, the fuse is quite short and you’re quick to explode and react.
‘’If you have high omega-3 levels then the fuse is longer which allows you to think, to consider all the options before you act.’’
At least 45 per cent of Australian prisoners are incarcerated for violent offences; while one third have been assaulted in prison. Should the study help reduce aggressive behaviour by 25 per cent, researchers expect to see an eight per cent reduction in inmate assaults.
Associate Professor Mitch Byrne, from the School of Psychology, has been closely involved with the project.
“Given about 46 per cent of Australian prisoners have mental health disorders, impulsivity and aggressive behaviour within correctional centres is of high concern, both to individual offenders and custodial authorities.’’
The study will receive funding and support from the NSW and SA corrective services departments.