Patients experience of a study of light therapy in the treatment of chronic insomnia in general practice. a qualitative study

Juliette Chambe, Giacomini Antoine, Tran-Oberle Joris, Mingori Tristan

Keywords: insomnia, light therapy, research protocol, qualitative

Background:

Chronic insomnia is a condition that is both common and underestimated, impacting patients' quality of life in numerous ways. In this context, the general practitioner plays a central role as an essential point of contact.

Research questions:

The aim of this study was to thoroughly explore the experiences and perceptions of light therapy among patients with chronic insomnia who participated in an evaluation of light therapy in general outpatient practice, as part of the Insolux study.

Method:

Two researchers interviewed 22 patients through semi-structured interviews, providing valuable insights into the real-life experiences of patients facing this therapeutic approach. the analysis was first carried out in parallel by the two researchers, then pooled until a consensus was reached.

Results:

Most patients joined the study with the goal of improving their sleep disorders through a non-drug therapy. Although light therapy was very well tolerated, the majority of patients did not report significant improvement in their symptoms. The study also highlights the patients' desire for a more precise characterization of their sleep disorder, thus emphasizing the importance of an individualized approach in managing chronic insomnia.

Conclusions:

Ultimately, our study helps inform practitioners about the use of light therapy in managing pa-tients with chronic insomnia, while also highlighting the challenges and opportunities associated with this therapeutic approach. In light of these results and recent advances in the field, further studies are necessary to determine the exact place of light therapy within French and internation-al recommendations for the treatment of chronic insomnia, particularly its use in conjunction with CBT and its interaction with sleep-wake phases. These future studies could help refine our understanding of the effectiveness of light therapy and guide its clinical implementation.

Points for discussion:

limits of the sample of patients

improvement of interventional study in general practice

non-drug treatments of insomnia

#142