A new study has revealed fish oil as a key to a safe and effective form of treatment for young people with schizophrenia.

Adolescent psychiatrist Paul Amminger of the University of Melbourne's Orygen Youth Health Centre suggested that light medication of anti-psychotic drugs are sometimes prescribed, but it is controversial.

"Because of the side effects and because only part of those people progress to a full threshold disorder, we should also question if in such an early stage an intervention should be provided and, in particular, intervention with anti-psychotic medication," he added.

The study also cites that people with schizophrenia have lower levels of omega-3 or polyunsaturated fatty acids

The investigation on whether omega-3 fatty acids prevents psychotic illness, involved randomly assigned 81 at-risk individuals, 13 to 25 years old, to take 1.2 grams a day of omega-3s in fish oil capsule form or a placebo for 12 weeks and then followed them for another 40 weeks.

Of the group that took the fish oil capsules, just two was reported to develop a psychotic disorder after a year, while of the placebo group, 11 went on to develop some kind of psychosis.

Dr Phil Brock, the director of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the Women and Children's Hospital in Adelaide, cliams it is becoming increasingly clear how necessary fish oil is to the development of brain cells.