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Study Shows Blue Blocking Glasses Could Improve Mental Health

Posted by Blue Block Glasses Team on October 20, 2016 . 0 Comments

Scientists have long known that sleep and mental are interconnected. A recent study shows that using blue light filtering eyewear in the evening hours could improve mental health.

Sleep and Mental Health

First some facts on sleep. Based on a 2016 survey of 2000 Canadian adults [1]:

Sleep Facts

These are alarming statistics and indicate that sleep related problems are increasing in severity.

Mental health issues are also on the rise, a recent study showed 20% of Canadians would personally experience a mental health illness in their lifetime, and approximately 8% of adults would experience major depression at some time in their lives [2].

The prevailing and longstanding view is that sleep problems are often the causes and symptoms of psychiatric disorders. However, growing evidence is suggesting that the relationship between sleep and mental health is more complex, and includes bi-directional causation. Recent studies revealed that treating some psychiatric conditions could improve sleep while treating sleep disorders could also greatly affect the treatment outcome of psychiatric disorders [3]. 

A Study using Blue Blocking Glasses

Treatment of mental disorders typically involves medications or rehabilitation at clinics and hospitals, however a recent study showed that alternative low-cost, non-intrusive methods can potentially be used to achieve positive mental health results [7]. The study method is shown below. 

Sleep and Mental Health Study Method Graphic

Results between the two groups were compared using the in Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS), which measures the severity of manic episodes. The experiment group had an overall YMRS score that was 12% lower than the control group, indicating that the results were about two times of the YMRS clinically significant difference threshold [4]. Additionally, some symptoms of mania, including motor activity, language-thought disorder and irritability were attenuated after just a single night of intervention. The results indicate that wearing blue blocking glasses are an effective add on treatments for such patients. 

Significance and Implications of the Study

The study is significant because the results indicate that utilizing blue blocking glasses as an additional component of treatment is simple and effective. The glasses are low cost, virtually non-invasive and effective.

Potential side effects from wearing blue blocking glasses were minor but might require further investigation. According to the research, the glasses were well perceived by the patients, and the treatment did not aggravate existing conditions such as headache or uncomfortably low mood and energy. On the other hand, some common side effects of mood-stabilizers for bipolar treatments included nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, trembling, drowsiness, weight gain and etc [6].

Considering the cost, effectiveness and nature of the intervention it’s possible that blue blocking glasses could become common practice both at home and at clinics.

 

Brent Li

 

 

Reference:

[1] Morehouse R, Davidson J, Horner R, Morin C. Canadian Sleep Review 2016 [Internet]. 2016 [cited 29 September 2016]. Available from: http://www.projectsleep.ca/bundles/dfcdefault/assets/pdf/Canadian%20Sleep%20Review%202016.pdf

[2] Fast Facts about Mental Illness - Canadian Mental Health Association [Internet]. Canadian Mental Health Association. [cited 29 September 2016]. Available from: http://www.cmha.ca/media/fast-facts-about-mental-illness/#.V-1plpMrJmB

[3] Krystal A. Psychiatric Disorders and Sleep. Neurologic Clinics. 2012;30(4):1389-1413.

[4] Lukasiewicz M, Gerard S, Besnard A, Falissard B, Perrin E, Sapin H et al. Young Mania Rating Scale: how to interpret the numbers? Determination of a severity threshold and of the minimal clinically significant difference in the EMBLEM cohort. International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research. 2013;22(1):46-58.

[5] Kleinman L e. Costs of bipolar disorder. - PubMed - NCBI [Internet]. Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. 2016 [cited 29 September 2016]. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12807364

[6] Mood-Stabilizing Medicines for Bipolar Disorder and Schizophrenia [Internet]. WebMD. 2016 [cited 29 September 2016]. Available from: http://www.webmd.com/bipolar-disorder/mood-stabilizing-medications-for-bipolar-disorder

[7] Henriksen T, Skrede S, Fasmer O, Schoeyen H, Leskauskaite I, Bjørke-Bertheussen J et al. Blue-blocking glasses as additive treatment for mania: a randomized placebo-controlled trial. Bipolar Disorders. 2016;18(3):221-232.

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