Project being explored would test theory that it reduces violent conduct
By
Teh Joo Lin
FISH oil may be making its way into the diet of inmates here under a study to test a theory that it reduces violent behaviour.
The Singapore Prisons is exploring the feasibility of such a project, after a British study found that fish oil supplements slashed violent behaviour in youth.
What's on the cards
Ward expansion
The secured ward at Changi General Hospital for sick inmates will be expanded.
If it goes ahead, Singapore will be the first country to study the effects of the oil on violence on an incarcerated Asian population.
The premise is seductive. It suggests that the pills - which are rich in fatty acids - can be a cheap and humane way to promote good behaviour.
In the British study published in 2002, young offenders who took the capsules at a prison in Aylesbury committed 37 per cent fewer violent crimes compared to those who took a placebo.
Since then, similar studies have commenced in the United States and Holland, according to news reports abroad.
The idea is yet another initiative in the Singapore Prisons' ongoing efforts to improve prisoner management.
Consultant psychiatrist Adrian Wang cautioned against expecting too much, though there are studies linking mood to fish oil - which has been used to treat mental illnesses like depression and bipolar disorder.
'But in those studies, they found the amount of fish oil they've to take is very, very large. You'll be burping fish,' he said, adding that results are still inconclusive.
'So it may work for some but not for others, and there are better treatments out there. But no harm trying it as a supplement.'
Read the full story in Wednesday's edition of The Straits Times.
