Delivery of bright light therapy within the Veterans Health Administration.
J Affect Disord
; 349: 1-7, 2024 Mar 15.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38154586
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Bright light therapy (BLT) is efficacious for seasonal and non-seasonal depression. However, the current state of BLT use in practice is unknown, impeding efforts to identify and address utilization gaps. This study's objective was to investigate BLT delivery in a nationwide U.S. healthcare system.METHODS:
This was a retrospective observational study of electronic medical records from all veterans who received outpatient mood disorder-related care in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) from October 2008 through September 2020. BLT delivery was measured through the placement of light box consults.RESULTS:
Of the 3,442,826 veterans who received outpatient mood disorder care, only 57,908 (1.68 %) received a light box consult. Consults increased by 548.44 % (99.9 % credible interval 467.36 %, 638.74 %) over the timeframe and displayed a robust yearly cycle that peaked on either December 21st or December 22nd. Past mental health treatment for a mood disorder was associated with a higher probability of a consult (relative risk = 4.79, 99.9 % CI 4.21, 5.60). There was low representation related to veteran age, gender, race, and ethnicity.LIMITATIONS:
No information on patients who declined light boxes or actual light box use following consult placement.CONCLUSIONS:
Outpatient BLT delivery for mood disorders in the VHA remains low, despite significant growth over the past decade. It also displays a strong seasonal rhythm that peaks on the winter solstice, suggesting a limited focus on seasonal depression and a suboptimal reactive approach to changing sunlight. Overall, there exists ample opportunity for novel implementation efforts aimed at increasing utilization of BLT.Key words
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Veterans
/
Seasonal Affective Disorder
Limits:
Humans
Country/Region as subject:
America do norte
Language:
En
Journal:
J Affect Disord
Year:
2024
Document type:
Article
Country of publication: