Bright Light Therapy for Depressed Geriatric Inpatients

Investigators are studying the ability of light therapy to reduce depressive symptoms in elderly patients who are hospitalized with unipolar depression (depression that is not due to bipolar disorder). Participants will receive either active light treatment or inactive treatment (also known as placebo).

Inclusion criteria

• A current episode of non-psychotic unipolar depression as the primary reason for psychiatric hospitalization
• Currently hospitalized on the MUSC Senior Care Unit
• Age 60 years or older
• HAMD-17 ≥8

Exclusion criteria

• Any prior use of bright light therapy
• Primary indication for hospitalization is for a disorder other than major depressive disorder (determined by patient's treatment team)
• Photosensitive medical conditions or current use of photosensitizing medications - if patients have been advised by a treating clinician at any point to avoid sunlight because of their current medication regimen or medical condition, they will be considered to have a photosensitive medical condition and will be excluded from this study.
• Treatment with ECT; if a patient's condition deteriorates during study participation such that the treatment team feels ECT would be in their best interest, they will be withdrawn from study participation. For logistical and transport purposes, the study team feels that exclusion of patients receiving ECT will be necessarily. Additionally, these patients would likely be excluded from a future larger RCT given that ECT would likely interfere with signal of BLT efficacy.
• Uncontrolled headaches or any migraines within the last month
• Major neurocognitive disorder
• Severe intellectual disability
• Inability to consent for the study
• Active psychosis
• Inmates