BackgroundPatients suffering from depression have a high risk of relapse and readmission in the weeks following discharge from inpatient wards. Electronic self-monitoring systems that offer patient-communication features are now available to offer daily support to patients, but the usability, acceptability, and adherence to these systems has only been sparsely investigated.ObjectiveWe aim to test the usability, acceptability, adherence, and clinical outcome of a newly developed computer-based electronic self-assessment system (the Daybuilder system) in patients suffering from depression, in the period from discharge until commencing outpatient treatment in the Intensive Outpatient Unit for Affective Disorders.MethodsPatients suffering from unipolar major depression that were referred from inpatient wards to an intensive outpatient unit were included in this study before their discharge, and were followed for four weeks. User satisfaction was assessed using semiqualitative questionnaires and the System Usability Scale (SUS). Patients were interviewed at baseline and at endpoint with the Hamilton depression rating scale (HAM-D17), the Major Depression Inventory (MDI), and the 5-item World Health Organization Well-Being Index (WHO-5). In this four-week period patients used the Daybuilder system to self-monitor mood, sleep, activity, and medication adherence on a daily basis. The system displayed a graphical representation of the data that was simultaneously displayed to patients and clinicians. Patients were phoned weekly to discuss their data entries. The primary outcomes were usability, acceptability, and adherence to the system. The secondary outcomes were changes in: the electronically self-assessed mood, sleep, and activity scores; and scores from the HAM-D17, MDI, and WHO-5 scales.ResultsIn total, 76% of enrolled patients (34/45) completed the four-week study. Five patients were readmitted due to relapse. The 34 patients that completed the study entered data for mood on 93.8% of the days (872/930), sleep on 89.8% of the days (835/930), activity on 85.6% of the days (796/930), and medication on 88.0 % of the days (818/930). SUS scores were 86.2 (standard deviation [SD] 9.7) and 79% of the patients (27/34) found that the system lived up to their expectations. A significant improvement in depression severity was found on the HAM-D17 from 18.0 (SD 6.5) to 13.3 (SD 7.3; P<.01), on the MDI from 27.1 (SD 13.1) to 22.1 (SD 12.7; P=.006), and in quality of life on the WHO-5 from 31.3 (SD 22.9) to 43.4 (SD 22.1; P<.001) scales, but not on self-assessed mood (P=.08). Mood and sleep parameters were highly variable from day-to-day. Sleep-offset was significantly delayed from baseline, averaging 48 minutes (standard error 12 minutes; P<.001). Furthermore, when estimating delay of sleep-onset (with sleep quality included in the model) during the study period, this showed a significant negative effect on mood (P=.03)ConclusionsThe Daybuilder systems performed well technically, and patients were satisfied with the system and h...
Background The transition phase from inpatient to outpatient care for patients suffering from Major Depressive Disorder represents a vulnerable period associated with a risk of depression worsening and suicide. Our group has recently found that the sleep-wake cycle in discharged depressive patients became irregular and exhibited a drift towards later hours, associated with worsening of depression. In contrast, an advancement of sleep phase has earlier been shown to have an antidepressant effect. Thus, methods to prevent drift of the sleep-wake cycle may be promising interventions to prevent or reduce worsening of depression after discharge. Methods In this trial, we apply a new treatment intervention, named Circadian Reinforcement Therapy (CRT), to patients discharged from inpatient psychiatric wards. CRT consists of a specialized psychoeducation on the use of regular time signals (zeitgebers): daylight exposure, exercise, meals, and social contact. The aim is to supply stronger and correctly timed zeitgebers to the circadian system to prevent sleep drift and worsening of depression. The CRT is used in combination with an electronic self-monitoring system, the Monsenso Daybuilder System (MDB). By use of the MDB system, all patients self-monitor their sleep, depression level, and activity (from a Fitbit bracelet) daily. Participants can inspect all their data graphically on the MDB interface and will have clinician contact. The aim is to motivate patients to keep a stable sleep-wake cycle. In all, 130 patients referred to an outpatient service will be included. Depression rating is blinded. Patients will be randomized 1:1 to a Standard group or a CRT group . The intervention period is 4 weeks covering the transition phase from inpatient to outpatient care. The primary outcome is score change in interviewer rated levels of depression on the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. A subset of patients will be assessed with salivary Dim Light Melatonin Onset (DLMO) as a validator of circadian timing. The trial was initiated in 2016 and will end in 2020. Discussion If the described intervention is beneficial it could be incorporated into usual care algorithms for depressed patients to facilitate a better and safer transition to outpatient treatment. Trial registration Posted prospectively at ClinicalTrials.gov at February 10, 2016 with identifier NCT02679768 .
Background and Aim: Improvement in patients admitted to inpatient wards with severe depression is slow, and such patients are often discharged with residual symptoms which put them at risk for relapse. New treatments that can speed up recovery are highly desired. This naturalistic follow-up study in a specialized affective disorders unit investigated the impact of daylight on the length of hospital stay and improvement of depression. Methods: For a period of 1 year, we collected data on sociodemographics, length of stay, vitamin D, and depression severity for patients in an inpatient affective disorders unit. The ward is located with one facade that faces southeast (SE); the opposite one faces northwest (NW) and receives far less light and no direct sunlight during winter. Results: SE-facing rooms received far more daylight than NW-facing rooms. The length of stay was significantly lower in the SE rooms, i.e., 29.2 (±26.8) versus 58.8 (±42.0) days in the NW rooms (p = 0.01). There was a statistically nonsignificant greater reduction of 52.2% in depression severity for the patients staying in the SE rooms compared to 42.2% in the NW rooms, which may nevertheless be clinically relevant. Conclusion: Due to the study design, no causality for the observed difference in length of stay can be given, but the results support findings in previous studies of the importance of architectural orientation providing natural daylight as a factor for improvement.
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