TOPLINE:

A new study found that light therapy (LT) added to standard care significantly reduced depressive symptoms and improved sleep quality in women with perinatal depression (PND), with efficacy sustained up to 7 months post-intervention.

METHODOLOGY:

• Researchers conducted a randomised controlled study, including 15 women (mean age, 36.67 years) diagnosed with PND and with Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) scores ≥ 12.
• Participants were assigned to receive standard care plus LT (30 minutes of LT daily for 5 consecutive weeks; n = 7) or standard care alone (antidepressants and/or psychotherapy; n = 8).
• Assessments were conducted using the EPDS, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale.
• All participants underwent weekly evaluations for 5 weeks and a 1-month follow-up, and the LT group had an additional assessment at 7 months. A significance level of P < .10 was adopted for comparing outcomes between groups.

TAKEAWAY:

• LT was well tolerated, and the LT group showed significantly greater reduction in depressive symptoms (P = .004) and improvement in sleep quality (P = .072) than the control group.
• Time x Group interactions were significant for all psychopathological outcomes.
• Efficacy was sustained in the LT group; significant improvements in BDI-II scores (P = .009) and PSQI scores (P = .021) were observed in the 7-month follow-up assessment vs the 1-month assessment.

IN PRACTICE:

"Successful implementation of care for perinatal depression requires a therapeutic approach that addresses the most insidious and treatment-resistant symptoms, ensures safety for both mother and child, and fosters a strong therapeutic relationship," the authors wrote. "Light therapy is an effective augmentation treatment for women with perinatal depression, demonstrating sustained remission over the follow-up period and offering strategic tolerability for a vulnerable population such as the mother-infant dyad," they added.

SOURCE:

The study was led by Emanuela Bianciardi, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy. It was published online in the September-October 2025 edition of Rivista di psichiatria.

LIMITATIONS:

The study was limited by its small sample size, which may have introduced potential bias and limited the generalisability of results. Researchers did not distinguish between pregnant and postpartum participants, preventing the evaluation of LT effectiveness in the distinct pregnancy and postpartum periods. LT was self-administered at home without direct supervision, which may have affected treatment adherence and consistency.

DISCLOSURES:

The study received no external funding. The authors reported having no conflicts of interest.

This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.