title: Increased daylight availability reduces length of hospitalisation in depressive patients.
abstract: In a retrospective study, hospital stay in two hospitals was compared for depressive patients. The mean amount of accumulated light impinging the patient's area was 86,145 lux/light period in Hospital Universitari Son Dureta and 258,909 lux/light period in Hospital Universitari Son Espases (~300 % increase). The median stay was 14 days (1q-3q 8-19, n = 101) and 11 (1q-3q 6-15, n = 106) days, respectively. The reduction was significant only for the entire group, though not for subgroups (p < 0.007). Although the light received was not individually measured, results point to a significant effect of light in the recovery time of depressive patients. Prospective studies are needed.
authors.affiliation: Psychiatry Department, Hospital Universitari Son Espases, Ctra. deValldemossa n°79, 07010, Palma de Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain. francesca.canellas@ssib.es.|Institut d'Investigació Sanitaria Palma (IdISPa), Palma de Mallorca, Spain. francesca.canellas@ssib.es.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Canellas
authors.affiliation: Psychiatry Department, Hospital Universitari Son Espases, Ctra. deValldemossa n°79, 07010, Palma de Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain.
authors.forename: Luisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mestre
authors.affiliation: Psychiatry Department, Hospital Universitari Son Espases, Ctra. deValldemossa n°79, 07010, Palma de Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain.
authors.forename: Miriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Belber
authors.affiliation: Methodology Research Unit, Hospital Universitari Son Espases, Palma de Mallorca, Spain.|Institut d'Investigació Sanitaria Palma (IdISPa), Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
authors.forename: Guillem
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Frontera
authors.affiliation: Psychiatry Department, Hospital Universitari Son Espases, Ctra. deValldemossa n°79, 07010, Palma de Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain.
authors.forename: Mary Angeles
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Rey
authors.affiliation: Universitat de les Illes Balears, Palma de Mallorca, Spain.|Institut d'Investigació Sanitaria Palma (IdISPa), Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
authors.forename: Ruben
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rial
mesh_terms: D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013472:Sunlight; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: Bright light; Depression; Length of hospitalisation