Wake and light therapy for moderate-to-severe depression – a randomized controlled trial
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To examine the efficacy of using wake and light therapy as a supplement to standard treatment of hospitalized patients with depression. METHOD: In this randomized, controlled study, 64 patients with moderate-to-severe depression were allocated to standard treatment or to the intervention, which additionally consisted of three wake therapy sessions in one week, 30-min daily light treatment and sleep time stabilization over the entire nine-week study period. RESULTS: , 17.39 (CI 15.6-19.2) vs. 20.19 (CI 18.3-22.09) (P = 0.04), whereas no statistically significant differences were found between the groups in weeks two to nine. At week nine, the wake therapy group had a significantly larger increase in general self-efficacy (P = 0.001), and waking up during nights was a significantly less frequent problem (1.9 times vs. 3.2) (P = 0.0008). In most weeks, significantly fewer patients in the wake therapy group slept during the daytime, and if they slept, their naps were shorter (week three: 66 min vs. 117 min P = 0.02). CONCLUSION: The antidepressant effect initially achieved could not be maintained during the nine-week study period. However, sleep and general self-efficacy improved.
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Other control conditions such as low-intensity exercise and mild sleep/light management have been previously used.
“other control conditions such as low-intensity exercise and mild sleep/light management has been previously used (39, 40, 49).”
From Total Sleep Deprivation Followed by Bright Light Therapy as Rapid Relief for Depression: A Pragmatic Randomized Controlled Trial (2021) · cites this paper as [39]
Despite differences in treatment protocols, the present findings are in line with a randomized controlled trial among inpatients with moderate to severe depression.
“Despite differences in treatment protocols, our findings are in line with a RCT among inpatients with moderate to severe depression (39).”
From Total Sleep Deprivation Followed by Bright Light Therapy as Rapid Relief for Depression: A Pragmatic Randomized Controlled Trial (2021) · cites this paper as [39]
TSD could show patients the malleability of depressive symptoms, thereby, improving self-efficacy as Kragh et al. have suggested.
“For instance, TSD could show patients the malleability of depressive symptoms, thereby, improving self-efficacy as Kragh et al. have suggested (39).”
From Total Sleep Deprivation Followed by Bright Light Therapy as Rapid Relief for Depression: A Pragmatic Randomized Controlled Trial (2021) · cites this paper as [39]
Recent studies on combined chronotherapy have reported lower response rates than the presumed average of 50% with the exception of two cohort studies.
“Moreover, recent studies on combined chronotherapy have reported lower response rates (20, 39, 44, 58) than the presumed average of 50% (45) with the exception of two cohort studies (22, 62).”
From Total Sleep Deprivation Followed by Bright Light Therapy as Rapid Relief for Depression: A Pragmatic Randomized Controlled Trial (2021) · cites this paper as [39]
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- Authors
- Kragh, M., Martiny, K., Videbech, P., Møller, D. N., Wihlborg, C. S., Lindhardt, T., & Larsen, E. R.
- Affiliations
- Aarhus University Hospital (DK)
- University of Copenhagen (DK)
- Glostrup Hospital (DK)
- Herlev Hospital (DK)
- Corresponding author
- Kragh, M.
- Venue
- Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2017-04-19
- Volume
- 136
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 559-570
- ISSN
- 0001-690X (ISSN-L)
- 1600-0447
- OpenAlex
- W2606235815
- Cited by
- 25
- References
- 41
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 2
- FWCI
- 4.95
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Research at the University of Copenhagen (University of Copenhagen) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Novo Nordisk
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Sleep and related disorders
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology › Treatment of Major Depression
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Endocrine and Autonomic Systems › Circadian rhythm and melatonin
- Keywords
- wake therapy, phototherapy, depression, moderate to severe depression, hospitalized patients, general self-efficacy, daytime sleep, adjunctive therapy
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Aged, Major Depressive Disorder, Depressive Disorder, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Phototherapy, Severity of Illness Index, Wakefulness, Treatment Outcome, Self Efficacy, Young Adult
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