scholarly journals Improvement in Fatigue, Sleepiness, and Health-Related Quality of Life with Bright Light Treatment in Persons with Seasonal Affective Disorder and Subsyndromal SAD

2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cecilia Rastad ◽  
Jan Ulfberg ◽  
Per Lindberg
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Depressed Mood ◽  
Excessive Daytime Sleepiness ◽  
Seasonal Affective Disorder ◽  
Bright Light ◽  
Light Treatment ◽  
Health Related Quality ◽  
Related Quality ◽  
Health Related

Objective. To investigate the effects of bright light treatment for secondary outcome measures and to explore and validate empirically derived subgroups and treatment effects in subgroups.Methods. A descriptive design. A sample of forty-nine persons (mean age of 45.8) with clinically assessed seasonal affective disorder (SAD) or subsyndromal SAD (S-SAD) participated in a two-group clinical trial evaluating the effects of treatment with bright light therapy. A person-oriented cluster analysis was applied to study treatment effects in subgroups.Results. For the merged group, sleepiness (Epworth Sleepiness Scale), fatigue (fatigue questionnaire), and health-related quality of life (SF-36) were improved at posttreatment, and results were maintained at the one-month followup. Three distinct subgroups had a high level of fatigue in common, while the level of excessive daytime sleepiness and depressed mood differed between the subgroups. Over time, all subgroups improved following ten days treatment in a light room.Conclusion. Fatigue, excessive daytime sleepiness, and health-related quality of life improve in a similar way as depressed mood following treatment with bright light. The treatment was effective irrespective of the severity of the disorder, that is, for persons with SAD and subsyndromal SAD.

scholarly journals Depression and Cigarette Smoking Independently Relate to Reduced Health-Related Quality of Life among Canadians Living with Hepatitis C

2006 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 81-86 ◽  
Author(s):  
Louise Balfour ◽  
Curtis Cooper ◽  
John Kowal ◽  
Giorgio A Tasca ◽  
Amy Silverman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Hepatitis C ◽  
Cigarette Smoking ◽  
Depressed Mood ◽  
Health Behaviours ◽  
Health Related Quality ◽  
Relative Contribution ◽  
Related Quality ◽  
Health Related

BACKGROUND: Many people living with chronic viral hepatitis C (HCV) report reduced health-related quality of life. The relative contribution of behavioural, psychosocial and HCV disease factors to reduction in HCV health-related quality of life is not well understood. The objectives of the present study were to compare standardized health-related quality of life scores between Canadian HCV patients and age-matched Canadian and American norms, and to examine the relative contribution of biopsychosocial variables (ie, cigarette smoking, alcohol intake and depression) to health-related quality of life scores among Canadian HCV patients.METHODS: HCV RNA-positive patients were recruited during their first visit to the Ottawa Hospital Viral Hepatitis Clinic (Ottawa, Ontario). A questionnaire assessing health behaviours, health-related quality of life and depressed mood was completed. Data on liver studies, liver biopsy findings and HIV serostatus were also collected.RESULTS: A total of 123 participants (71% men) ranging from 20 to 67 years of age were evaluated. All had compensated liver function. Patients reported significantly lower health-related quality of life compared with age-matched Canadian and American normative samples. In a series of hierarchical multiple regression models, depression and smoking were independently related to compromised health-related quality of life scores, even after controlling for sociodemographic variables and health behaviours.DISCUSSION: These results highlight the value of adopting a biopsychosocial model of HCV care. Depressed mood and smoking behaviour should be evaluated in HCV patients. Empirically validated psychological and pharmacological treatments for depression and smoking cessation may improve health-related quality of life in HCV infected patients.

Bright Light Therapy to Promote Sleep in Mothers of Low-Birth-Weight Infants

2012 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 398-406 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shih-Yu Lee ◽  
Dawn M. Aycock, ◽  
Margaret F. Moloney
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Birth Weight ◽  
Bright Light ◽  
Light Therapy ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Health Related Quality ◽  
Bright Light Therapy ◽  
Related Quality ◽  
Health Related

Having a low-birth-weight (LBW) infant in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) can intensify a mother’s sleep disturbances due to both stress and the dim lighting in the ICU setting, which desynchronizes circadian rhythms. The purpose of this pilot study was to examine the effectiveness of a 3-week bright light therapy intervention on sleep and health outcomes of mothers with LBW infants in the NICU. Controlled stratified randomization was used to assign 30 mothers to a treatment or control group. Data were collected at pretreatment (second week postpartum) and after the 3-week intervention. Sleep data were assessed by wrist actigraph (total sleep time [TST], circadian activity rhythms [CARs]) and the General Sleep Disturbance scale. Other outcome variables were measured by the Lee’s Fatigue scale, Edinburgh Postpartum Depression scale, and the Medical Outcomes Short Form 36, version 2. Mothers averaged 26.6 ( SD = 6.3) years of age, and the majority were Black (73%). The mean gestational age for the infants was 27.7 ( SD = 2.0) weeks. Small to large effect sizes were found when comparing the pre- to posttreatment differences between groups. Although none of the differences were statistically significant in this small sample, for mothers in the treatment group nocturnal TST ( d = .33), CAR ( d = 1.06), morning fatigue ( d = .22), depressive symptoms ( d = .40), physical health–related quality of life ( d = .33), and mental health–related quality of life ( d = .60) all improved compared to the control group. Bright light therapy is feasible for mothers with infants in an NICU. Clinically significant improvements have been evidenced; a larger-scale trial of effectiveness is needed.

Randomized trial of physical exercise alone or combined with bright light on mood and health-related quality of life

1998 ◽  
Vol 28 (6) ◽  
pp. 1359-1364 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. PARTONEN ◽  
S. LEPPÄMÄKI ◽  
J. HURME ◽  
J. LÖNNQVIST
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Physical Exercise ◽  
Relaxation Training ◽  
Bright Light ◽  
Health Related Quality ◽  
Related Quality ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Fitness Training

Background. So-called atypical depressive symptoms (carbohydrate craving, prolonged sleep, weight gain, increased appetite) frequently emerge in association with low illumination to which people are ordinarily exposed indoors, or even outdoors at extreme latitudes in wintertime. Our objective was to analyse the effect of physical exercise alone or combined with bright light on mood and the health-related quality of life during winter.Methods. We carried out a randomized controlled trial on 120 indoor employees in southern Finland between November and January. The subjects were allocated to supervised fitness training under bright (2500–4000 lx) or ordinary (400–600 lx) light conditions in a gym 2–3 times weekly for 8 weeks, or supervised relaxation training once a week over the same period as active placebo. We collected questionnaire data on the changes in mood and health-related quality of life after 4 and 8 weeks of training, and after 4 months follow-up.Results. Fitness training in bright light resulted in greater relief from atypical depressive symptoms and more vitality than in ordinary room light. Compared with relaxation alone, the former regime improved general mental health and social functioning in addition to the improvement in depressive symptoms and vitality, whereas the latter only increased vitality.Conclusions. Supervised physical exercise combined with exposure to bright light appears to be an effective intervention for improving mood and certain aspects of the health-related quality of life in wintertime. This effect appears unrelated to the history of season-dependent symptoms, being noticeable among healthy individuals.

Sleep problems and depressed mood negatively impact health-related quality of life during pregnancy

2009 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 249-257 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deborah Da Costa ◽  
Maria Dritsa ◽  
Nancy Verreault ◽  
Caline Balaa ◽  
Jennifer Kudzman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Depressed Mood ◽  
Sleep Problems ◽  
Health Related Quality ◽  
Related Quality ◽  
Health Related
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