Objective
Establish the feasibility and preliminary effects of home-wearable light therapy for postpartum depression, and its effects on circadian measures. Eight women within 6 months postpartum were prescribed 60 minutes of daily morning light therapy for 5 weeks.
Method
Potential participants were recruited from the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Michigan and the greater Ann Arbor community. Participants were eligible if they were ≥18 years of age, ≤ 6 months postpartum, met DSM-V criteria for major depressive disorder, and scored ≥ 20 on the Structured Interview Guide for the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale-Seasonal Affective Disorder (SIGH-SAD).
Conclusion
The device was well tolerated. Significant improvements were observed in self-report and clinician-rated depression symptoms, with little change in objective circadian measures. Home-wearable light therapy is feasible for postpartum women and may be a promising treatment for postpartum depression.