Blue light hope for postpartum depression
NCT ID NCT06246214
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tests whether a special blue light device can improve mood in women who are 4-6 weeks postpartum and have depression or anxiety. Half of the 50 depressed participants will use the blue light, the other half a dim placebo light. The researchers will also track sleep and body rhythms to understand how light affects mental health.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Blue light therapy device
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a simple, drug-free way to reduce depression and anxiety in new mothers.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage trial with only 50 women receiving the active treatment. The placebo device also emits light, so the real benefit may be small or unclear.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
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
-
About 150 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
-
Jan 2024
- Expected to finish
-
May 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
-
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
-
18 years and older
- Sex
-
Female participants only
- Healthy volunteers
-
Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
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: * 4-6 weeks postpartum; * Postnatal depression confirmed through Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) \> 10; * Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I.) positive for current depressive episode. Exclusion Criteria: * Active suicidal ideation; * Psychotic symptoms; * Unstable general medical conditions that interfere with the acquisition of actigraphy; * Newborn with severe health conditions (hospitalization, care in the neonatal ICU).
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Anxiety state are added.
Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
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.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
-
The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
-
The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
-
A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre
RECRUITINGPorto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, 90410-000, Brazil
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Can a pill ease severe postpartum depression?
- Can a new pill ease postpartum depression? a Real-World study investigates
- Can flickering light and pulsed sound shield new mothers from postpartum depression?
- Can group prenatal care with social support reduce preterm births?
- Robot-Guided brain zaps: a new hope for postpartum depression?
- Could epidurals shield new mothers from postnatal depression?