Regulating Mood and Suicidal Ideation With Morning Light Exposure Treatment
University of Arizona
Summary
Mood dysregulation and suicidal ideation are closely associated with disruption of sleep and circadian rhythms. Moreover, sleep problems and circadian disruption are commonplace features of military life. Critically, specifically timed light exposure plays a powerful role in regulating mood, circadian rhythms, and sleep-wake patterns. Therefore, investigators propose to conduct a large-scale clinical trial on the effectiveness of morning light exposure treatment for improving sleep-wake patterns, emotional and mental health, and suicidal thoughts in military personnel.
Description
The objective is to determine the effectiveness of daily morning light therapy for regulating the circadian rhythm to improve mood and reduce suicidal thinking. Our working hypotheses are that daily exposure to the active light for two weeks will 1) lead to a phase advance entrainment of sleep timing relative to a placebo light therapy, 2) lead to improved/sustained mental health outcomes, including suicidal ideation, relative to a placebo light therapy, and that 3) most military Service members will rate the use of a light "headset" device acceptable as a treatment option after their experien…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 18–60 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion Criteria: * Ages 18-60 years * At least an 8th grade reading level * Score ≥ 5 (i.e., mild depression or greater) on the Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9) * Service member of any Armed Forces branch, including active duty, Reserve, or National Guard Exclusion Criteria: * Not actively serving in an Armed Force branch * Scored (i.e., \< 5) range on the PHQ-9 (non-depressed) * Pregnant or trying to become pregnant * Breastfeeding * History of psychotic disorder or manic episodes * Bipolar disorder * Diseases of the eye * Have had cataract surgery * Frequent and light-sensitive m…
Interventions
- OtherActive light exposure
Active light at the wave length of 470nm will be emitted for 30 minutes over a 2 week time frame, from commercially available ayo glasses, as a method to regulated circadian rhythm.
- OtherPlacebo light exposure
Placebo light at the wave length of 578nm will be emitted for 30 minutes over a 2 week time frame, from commercially available ayo glasses, as a control to investigate the regulation of circadian rhythm.
Location
- University of ArizonaTucson, Arizona