Previous studies have suggested that nutritional supplementation may lower aggressive behavior in children but they have not examined whether its efficacy may be enhanced in conjunction with other treatment approaches.
Professor Adrian Raine, from the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, and colleagues conducted a randomized, single-blind, stratified, factorial trial to test the hypothesis that nutritional supplementation with omega-3, multivitamins, and calcium for 3 months, combined with cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), would reduce childhood aggression.
The study randomized a sample of high-risk children (n=290) aged 11–12 years into 4 groups:
The primary outcome was child- and parent-reported aggressive and antisocial behavior collected at baseline (0 months), end of treatment (3 months), 3 months post-treatment (6 months), and 9 months post-treatment (12 months).
Study authors found that children in the Nutrition only group demonstrated lower externalizing behavior vs. Controls at 3 month among child self-reports.
Study authors noted: ”group differences were not sustained 9 months post-treatment, and no other effects were significant.”
Overall, study findings offer some support for the efficacy of omega-3, vitamin, and mineral supplementation in lowering aggressive behavior in children, and mark the first study of nutritional supplements in conjunction with CBT.