Morning sunlight reduces length of hospitalization in bipolar depression

Francesco Benedetti; Cristina Colombo; Barbara Barbini; Euridice Campori; Enrico Smeraldi

doi:10.1016/S0165-0327(00)00149-X

Morning sunlight reduces length of hospitalization in bipolar depression

Francesco Benedetti, Cristina Colombo, Barbara Barbini, Euridice Campori, Enrico Smeraldi

IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Background: Bright artificial light improves non-seasonal depression. Preliminary observations suggest that sunlight could share this effect. Methods: Length of hospitalization was recorded for a sample of 415 unipolar and 187 bipolar depressed inpatients, assigned to rooms with eastern (E) or western (W) windows. Results: Bipolar inpatients in E rooms (exposed to direct sunlight in the morning) had a mean 3.67-day shorter hospital stay than patients in W rooms. No effect was found in unipolar inpatients. Conclusions: Natural sunlight can be an underestimated and uncontrolled light therapy for bipolar depression. Limitations: This is a naturalistic retrospective observation, which needs to be confirmed by prospective studies.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	221-223
Number of pages	3
Journal	Journal of Affective Disorders
Volume	62
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/S0165-0327(00)00149-X
Publication status	Published - 2001

Keywords

Bipolar depression
Hospitalization
Sunlight

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Psychiatry and Mental health
Behavioral Neuroscience
Biological Psychiatry
Neurology
Psychology(all)

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10.1016/S0165-0327(00)00149-X

Cite this

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title = "Morning sunlight reduces length of hospitalization in bipolar depression",

abstract = "Background: Bright artificial light improves non-seasonal depression. Preliminary observations suggest that sunlight could share this effect. Methods: Length of hospitalization was recorded for a sample of 415 unipolar and 187 bipolar depressed inpatients, assigned to rooms with eastern (E) or western (W) windows. Results: Bipolar inpatients in E rooms (exposed to direct sunlight in the morning) had a mean 3.67-day shorter hospital stay than patients in W rooms. No effect was found in unipolar inpatients. Conclusions: Natural sunlight can be an underestimated and uncontrolled light therapy for bipolar depression. Limitations: This is a naturalistic retrospective observation, which needs to be confirmed by prospective studies.",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Morning sunlight reduces length of hospitalization in bipolar depression

AU - Benedetti, Francesco

AU - Colombo, Cristina

AU - Barbini, Barbara

AU - Campori, Euridice

AU - Smeraldi, Enrico

PY - 2001

Y1 - 2001

N2 - Background: Bright artificial light improves non-seasonal depression. Preliminary observations suggest that sunlight could share this effect. Methods: Length of hospitalization was recorded for a sample of 415 unipolar and 187 bipolar depressed inpatients, assigned to rooms with eastern (E) or western (W) windows. Results: Bipolar inpatients in E rooms (exposed to direct sunlight in the morning) had a mean 3.67-day shorter hospital stay than patients in W rooms. No effect was found in unipolar inpatients. Conclusions: Natural sunlight can be an underestimated and uncontrolled light therapy for bipolar depression. Limitations: This is a naturalistic retrospective observation, which needs to be confirmed by prospective studies.

AB - Background: Bright artificial light improves non-seasonal depression. Preliminary observations suggest that sunlight could share this effect. Methods: Length of hospitalization was recorded for a sample of 415 unipolar and 187 bipolar depressed inpatients, assigned to rooms with eastern (E) or western (W) windows. Results: Bipolar inpatients in E rooms (exposed to direct sunlight in the morning) had a mean 3.67-day shorter hospital stay than patients in W rooms. No effect was found in unipolar inpatients. Conclusions: Natural sunlight can be an underestimated and uncontrolled light therapy for bipolar depression. Limitations: This is a naturalistic retrospective observation, which needs to be confirmed by prospective studies.

KW - Bipolar depression

KW - Hospitalization

KW - Sunlight

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Morning sunlight reduces length of hospitalization in bipolar depression

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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