Can a daily dose of bright light lift teen depression?
NCT ID NCT05823090
First seen Oct 06, 2026 · Last updated Oct 07, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
Researchers are testing bright light therapy in adolescents with depression. Teens use a light box that emits 10,000 lux for a set time each day, while a comparison group uses an identical-looking box that gives off dim red light. The trial measures changes in depression and anxiety symptoms, how well teens stick with the routine, and whether the treatment is safe and tolerable.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- bright light therapy using a 10,000 lux light box
- What this could lead to
- If bright light therapy helps, it could offer teens a low-risk, drug-free option to ease depression symptoms alongside or instead of other treatments.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very small early study of 9 teens, so results may not hold up in larger groups. Light therapy can cause eye strain, headaches, or sleep changes, and some teens may find daily sessions hard to keep up.
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Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
-
Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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9 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Dec 2021
- Finished
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Nov 2022
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
-
12 to 18 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Participants with depression and elevated scores on youth screening measures, Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9 (≥ 9) or PHQ-2 (≥ 3). * English-speaking primary caregiver legally able to provide consent and who could contribute weekly mood ratings. Exclusion Criteria: * Current or past diagnoses of bipolar disorder, moderate to severe autism, schizophrenia, or schizoaffective disorder, or intellectual disability; a major medical illness or ocular condition (e.g. glaucoma, retinal disease, macular degeneration) that would interfere with participation in the study; significant and imminent risk to self or to others; concurrent * Recent (\<4 months) medication or new (\< 3 months) psychotherapy treatment for depression * Current use of melatonin, beta-blockers, chloroquine, or regular non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents, or St. John's Wort.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Rachel Ballard
Chicago, Illinois, 60611, United States
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