A new study has found helpful, encouraging information that could help young people at a very high risk of developing schizophrenia.

The researchers reported that seven years after receiving a 12-week course of Omega-3 fatty acid supplements young people who were at a risk of developing schizophrenia were less likely than those who did not receive the supplements at developing full-blown psychosis. They also were found to be less likely to manifest a bigger range of psychiatric disorders that start to plant their roots in young adulthood, according to the Los Angeles Times.

This is the first research that has documented in detail the impact of fish oil supplements as a preventative measure for psychiatric diseases. The data found that even a short regimen of fish oil was far-ranging and effective in a group of young adults whose mental health was already fragile.

Also this week in their published study in Nature Communications, the study had even more hopeful data to aid in the mental health of young people. The Omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil capsules have previously been noted to boost the effectiveness of antidepressants as well as help those with ADHD in terms of improving their attention.

But fish oil is not only proven to be beneficial in helping young adults increase their chances of not developing such severe cases of these disorders, but in the young and cognitively healthy population, the supplements have been proven to improve working memory performance.

In the population of young people that are most vulnerable to develop severe mental illnesses, usually 34 to 40 percent of them have a high possibility of developing schizophrenia and 70 percent will most likely develop other psychiatric disorders like bipolar disorder or major depression.

With the intention of heading off these outcomes, experts are hard at work with research to find alternatives and additions to psychiatric medications. Many of the medications used add to the already debilitating effects of the disorders such as difficulty in daily functions, organizational skills, lack of motivation and skewed decision-making skills.

With additional risks of weight gain, metabolic disturbances and movement disorders, the use of antipsychotic medications during a person’s early conversion to a psychotic disorder, the research is fueled even further.

The findings, wrote the authors, offer “hope there may be alternatives to psychopharmacological treatment as early interventions in young people at risk for psychosis.”