The effect of photo-therapy in the treatment of depression in an inpatient setting: Research findings from a study at the clinic for Psychiatry and psychotherapy at the University Hospital in Bonn

Abstract

I would like to start with the development of a photo-therapeutic approach for patients. The photo-therapeutic approach was implemented in the context of a multimodal treatment setting at the clinic for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, using medication as well as cognitive behavioural therapy. The approach was developed, tested and then evaluated with a randomised study, that is, with a therapy group and a control group.

In the following, I will first talk about the development and the theoretical foundations of a photo-therapeutic approach to the treatment of depression. Later, I will discuss the empirical research methods that were used to determine the therapeutic effect of treating a group of patients with depression. I will then illustrate some aspects of the photo-therapeutic approach and its assessment with a clinical example.