Actively Recruiting
Chronotherapy for Depressive Episodes
Led by St. Olavs Hospital · Updated on 2025-12-31
76
Participants Needed
1
Research Sites
872 weeks
Total Duration
On this page
AI-Summary
What this Trial Is About
Evidence-based treatments for depression, such as antidepressive medication, usually have a latency of 4 to 6 weeks before they achieve a therapeutic effect. Chronotherapy is a group of non-pharmacological interventions that presumably act on the circadian system to achieve a rapid-onset clinical effect and better long-term effects and has been shown efficient to improve depressive symptoms. Interventions include sleep deprivation, sleep-phase advancement and stabilization, and light therapy. There are few studies testing the effectiveness of combining these three chronotherapeutic techniques in the initial phase of treatment of depression in a mental health care clinic. The investigators aim to test the effects and safety of chronotherapy in addition to TAU compared to TAU alone, with the primary outcome being self-reported depressive symptoms at 1 week following randomization. The study is a randomized controlled trial with 76 patients with a depressive episode who initiate treatment at Nidaros DPS, St. Olavs University Hospital. Participants will be allocated 1:1 to either chronotherapy + treatment as usual (TAU) or to TAU alone.
CONDITIONS
Official Title
Chronotherapy for Depressive Episodes
Who Can Participate
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if you...
- Patients 18 years or older
- Willing and able to provide written informed consent
- Newly diagnosed with a moderate or severe depressive episode according to ICD-10
- Diagnosis confirmed by a licensed therapist and a psychiatry/psychology specialist
- Score of 9 or higher on the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale-6
- Able to communicate in a Scandinavian language
You will not qualify if you...
- Conditions where chronotherapy may be unsafe, such as epilepsy, ongoing multiple sclerosis attack, blindness, narcolepsy, psychotic depression, or receiving electroconvulsive therapy
- Known pregnancy
- Diagnosis of emotionally unstable personality disorder (F60.3)
- Diagnosis of a psychotic disorder
- Shift work or social/work situations that prevent participation
- Participation in another ongoing trial involving digital cognitive behavior therapy for insomnia at the outpatient clinic
AI-Screening
AI-Powered Screening
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Trial Site Locations
Total: 1 location
1
St. Olavs Hospital, Nidaros DPS
Trondheim, Norway
Actively Recruiting
Research Team
K
Knut Langsrud, PhD, MD
CONTACT
How is the study designed?
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Masking
NONE
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Model
PARALLEL
Primary Purpose
TREATMENT
Number of Arms
2
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