Study Examines Impact Of Light Therapy On Depression In Pregnant Women
Preliminary findings suggest antepartum depression can be treated successfully with sustained bright light therapy regimen
New York, NY, July 2002– While the extreme case of Andrea Yates has brought widespread and much-needed attention to the issue of postpartum depression, one out of every ten women will suffer from clinical depression during pregnancy—posing potential health consequences for their unborn children, and putting them at increased risk for major episodes of depression after the birth of their babies. Complicating this matter even further is the fact that many expectant mothers in this situation are hesitant to take antidepressant medications, citing fears over the effect of such drugs on the cognitive and emotional development of their infants.
Researchers from the New York Psychiatric Institute at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, in conjunction with Yale University and the University of Pittsburgh, are working to rectify this problem by exploring the use of low-risk, bright light therapy—which already has been utilized successfully in individuals with both major and winter depression—to treat pregnant women with symptoms of depression.
Preliminary findings, which were reported earlier this year in the American Journal of Psychiatry, have been particularly promising. The investigators, including Dr. Michael Terman, Ph.D., director of the clinical chronobiology program at the New York Psychiatric Institute and professor of psychiatry at Columbia University’s College of Physicians & Surgeons, launched a pilot study to test the impact of bright light therapy on 16 pregnant women diagnosed with major depression. Nine of the patients received three weeks of treatment—which consisted of sitting in front of a light box for one hour daily within 10 minutes of waking—while another seven underwent five weeks of therapy. The women who underwent the three-week regimen demonstrated a 49 percent reduction in symptoms of depression, while their counterparts in the five-week program showed a 59 percent improvement.
“Our study has shown that light therapy produces an antidepressant response more quickly—often within days—and safely than traditional drug interventions,” said Dr. Terman. “Treating depression is an enormous challenge, and this research offers a constructive new option for pregnant women and their families.”
To follow up on the positive outcomes of the pilot study—and to definitively rule out a placebo effect—Dr. Terman and his colleagues have begun a randomized, controlled trial that compares two doses of light therapy (with the lower, less intense light exposure serving as the control variable). The investigators are actively seeking and recruiting more women—who will have the option of continuing with treatment up until and after the birth of their babies if warranted—for the new extended study. For more information or to register, please call the clinical chronobiology program at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center at 212-543-6118 or visit www.pregnancylight.org
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