Light and Ion Maintenance In Treatment for Depression (LIMIT-D): Feasibility Study
Trial Parameters
Brief Summary
Antidepressants are widely used as first-line treatments for major depressive disorder (MDD). Clinical guidelines recommend 6-24 months of "maintenance" antidepressant treatment, after patients achieve symptom remission, to prevent relapse but many people stop antidepressants too soon relapse into another depressive episode. We will test non-medication treatments, negative ion therapy and light therapy, to see they can substitute for antidepressants to prevent relapse. This is a "feasibility" study to see if participants use study treatments properly, before doing a larger, definitive trial. In this 28-week study, 100 participants with MDD who are in remission with antidepressants will be treated with light therapy or negative ion therapy (with half of devices active and half inactive) while slowly discontinuing the antidepressant, and monitored for relapse.
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-5) criteria for MDD, as determined by the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 (SCID). * Taking a first-line antidepressant at approved doses (Table 1), with dose unchanged in the past month. * Participant desire to discontinue antidepressant treatment because of adverse effects or other reasons; * In remission as defined by score ≤10 on the clinician-rated Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) at both the screening visit and baseline visit, at least 2 weeks apart. * Willing and able to complete self-report and online assessments including sufficient fluency in English or French. Exclusion Criteria: * Any psychiatric diagnosis other than MDD that is considered the primary diagnosis, including Bipolar I or Bipolar-II (lifetime). Note that comorbid anxiety disorders (e.g., generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder) will not be excluded if the anxiety disorder is not the primary diagnosis. * Diagnosis