Circadian lighting effect for inpatients with schizophrenia: A prospective cohort study

Abstract

Objectives: In schizophrenia, nonspecific lighting likely causes sleep timing disturbances, leading to distress and poorer clinical status. However, the effect of exposure to circadian lighting on psychopathology outcome in schizophrenia remains unknown. Hence, this study aimed to develop such an intervention and investigate its impact on schizophrenia. Methods: Twenty schizophrenia patients at a psychiatric nursing institute were monitored over 10 weeks, with assessments using the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) conducted at baseline, weeks 3 (T1), 7 (T2), and 10 (T3). Results: Circadian lighting significantly improved BPRS scores between T1–T2 (p