Einfluss erhöhter Lichtintensität auf die Verweildauer von stationär behandelten depressiven Patienten

Zusammenfassung

Patienten mit psychiatrischen Erkrankungen haben häufig Störungen des Schlaf-wach-Rhythmus und der zirkadianen Synchronisation. Da eine ausreichende Lichtintensität ein wichtiger Faktor für eine gute Synchronisation ist, haben wir in unserer Klinik nach dem Bezug neuer Räumlichkeiten auch eine neue Beleuchtung mit erhöhtem spektralen Blauanteil, der besonders zirkadian wirksam ist, installiert. Unsere Hypothese war, dass die Raumhelligkeit in der Klinik einen Einfluss auf die Verweildauer depressiver Patienten haben kann. Wir untersuchten retrospektiv die Verweildauer depressiver Patienten vor und nach dem Umzug. Nach dem Umzug hatte sich die Behandlungsdauer signifikant verkürzt. Diese Verkürzung der Verweildauer war unter Berücksichtigung des Alters nicht mehr signifikant, sodass sich statistisch gesehen durch die neuen Beleuchtungsbedingungen in den neun untersuchten Monaten nur ein Trend zur Verkürzung der Verweildauer fand.

Summary

Sleep-wake and circadian rhythm disturbances are often seen in patients with psychiatric illnesses. Since light exposure is the major trigger for maintaining entrainment of circadian rhythms, we installed special lighting with higher blue spectral components (specifically active on the circadian system) in our new premises. Our hypothesis was that the light intensity in the clinic would have an influence on the duration of hospitalisation of patients with major depression. We therefore retrospectively analysed the days of hospitalization before and after moving. In comparison the inpatient treatment was significantly shorter in our new premises. When the age of the patients was taken into account, however, this reduction was no longer significant. The new lighting conditions showed a trend for fewer days of hospitalisation over the nine months during which data were collected.

Schlüsselwörter

Depression - Lichttherapie - Liegedauer - erhöhter Blauspektrumanteil

Keywords

Depression - light treatment - length of hospitalisation - augmented blue spectrum light

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