Effect of Bright Light Therapy on Depressive Symptoms in Middle-Aged and Older Patients Receiving Long-Term Hemodialysis

Shu-Yi Huang, Malcolm Koo, Tsung-Cheng Hsieh, Ru-Ping Lee and Huei-Chuan Sung
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Shu-Yi Huang: Institute of Medical Sciences, Tzu Chi University, Hualien City, Hualien 970301, Taiwan
Malcolm Koo: Graduate Institute of Long-term Care, Tzu Chi University of Science and Technology, Hualien City, Hualien 973046, Taiwan
Tsung-Cheng Hsieh: Institute of Medical Sciences, Tzu Chi University, Hualien City, Hualien 970301, Taiwan
Ru-Ping Lee: Institute of Medical Sciences, Tzu Chi University, Hualien City, Hualien 970301, Taiwan
Huei-Chuan Sung: Institute of Medical Sciences, Tzu Chi University, Hualien City, Hualien 970301, Taiwan

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 21, 1-9

Abstract: Depressive symptoms are common psychiatric comorbidities among individuals receiving long-term hemodialysis. The aim of this two-arm parallel design study is to assess the effects of bright light therapy (BLT) on depressive symptoms among middle-aged and older adults receiving long-term hemodialysis. Study participants are recruited using convenient sampling from four dialysis clinics in eastern Taiwan. The eligible participants are block-randomized to either the BLT group (n = 30), with 30 min sessions of BLT five times a week for six weeks at their own home, or to the routine care control group (n = 30). The Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) scores and the salivary cortisol levels are obtained from the participants at three time points: baseline (T 0 ), week 3 (T 1 ), and week 6 (T 2 ). The results, from the generalized estimating equations, indicate that the decline in the BDI-II scores over time is significant in the BLT group at T 1 (β = −7.57, p < 0.001) and at T 2 (β = −6.20, p = 0.002) compared to the control group. The decrease in salivary cortisol levels at each visit is also significant in the BLT group at T 1 (β = −7.37, p = 0.017) and at T 2 (β = −12.22, p = 0.005) compared to the control group. Our findings support the hypothesis that a six-week program of BLT is able to alleviate depressive symptoms in middle-aged and older patients who receive long-term hemodialysis.

Keywords: light therapy; older adults; depression; depressive symptom; hemodialysis; complementary medicine (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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