Acta psychiatrica ScandinavicaJul 25, 2022

Long-lasting relief from pregnancy-related depression after bright light therapy in a small controlled trial

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Updated Apr 4, 2026

Abstract

Among the women receiving , 73% achieved remission from .

Bright light therapy was tested in women with a high risk of perinatal depression, indicated by an EPDS score greater than 12.
In the trial, 73% of participants receiving bright light therapy experienced significant improvement, compared to 27% in the dim red light group.
Statistical analysis showed a significant reduction in depression scores over time for those receiving bright light therapy.
No major side effects were reported by participants in either treatment group.
Bright light therapy demonstrated a well-tolerated safety profile in this population.

Simplified

OBJECTIVE: (PND) is a severe complication of pregnancy, affecting both mothers and newborns. (BLT) has only been tested in a few studies for treating either antenatal or postnatal depression. We conducted a pilot trial to investigate the efficacy and safety of BLT for PND occurring at any time across the perinatal period.

METHODS: A single-blind RCT was carried out in women with an EPDS >12 from the 2nd gestational trimester until 9 months postpartum. Participants received either 30-minutes morning BLT (10'000 lux) or dim red light (DRL, 19 lux) for 6 weeks.

RESULTS: Twenty-two women were randomised to BLT (n = 11) or DRL (n = 11). Among those receiving BLT, 73% achieved remission (improvement ≥50%, EPDS score ≤ 12), in contrast to 27% in the DRL group (p = 0.04). A significant influence of time on EPDS score and group-time interaction emerged, with a greater reduction in the BLT-group across the follow-up period. No women in either group reported major side effects.

CONCLUSION: Morning BLT induced a significant remission from PND as compared to DRL and this effect was maintained across the perinatal period. BLT showed an excellent safety profile and was well-tolerated, thus representing a valid therapeutic strategy in this vulnerable perinatal population.

Key numbers

73%

Remission Rate Increase

Remission rate in women receiving .

27%

Remission Rate in Control Group

Remission rate in women receiving dim red light.

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Funding

Competing interests

The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare that are relevant to the content of this article.

PubMed

Long-lasting relief from pregnancy-related depression after bright light therapy in a small controlled trial

Abstract

Key numbers

Full Text

Funding

Competing interests

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