What is Daylight?
Daylight is a fully automated digital worry and anxiety improvement program based on techniques from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for worry and anxiety. It is a personalized self-help program with specific guidance based on a person’s particular problematic thoughts, behaviors, and responses to worry and anxiety. Daylight is designed to be like CBT in that it is “collaborative.” The program guides you through a range of techniques and you decide what to put into practice.
The CBT techniques that Daylight is based on have been shown to be highly effective in providing long-term relief from worry and anxiety. However, they are not a “passive” solution, nor is Daylight. CBT techniques require sustained and significant effort for improvements to be achieved. Daylight can teach you about these techniques, but it will be up to you to practice them. We recommend starting Daylight when you are prepared to make a commitment of a few minutes each day for at least a month.
What does Daylight involve?
One of the key features of Daylight is that it is designed for you to use how you want, when you want. We recommend using Daylight for a few minutes each day. This will speed up your learning and help you feel better faster. Our research indicates that many people begin to see benefits after using the program consistently for 3 to 4 weeks, and see more lasting changes after 6 weeks of regular use.
What is CBT?
CBT stands for cognitive behavioral therapy. Treatment guidelines recommend CBT as the first-choice intervention to help improve a range of issues, and it usually involves face-to-face sessions with a trained specialist. CBT helps people learn techniques to break the vicious cycle of negative thoughts, feelings and behaviors that cause their problems to persist. The positive effects are long-lasting because the process leaves the person with a range of techniques that they can use forever.
What's the evidence that Daylight works?
Daylight has been tested to the highest standards of clinical evidence, in a placebo-group randomized controlled trial (RCT). The results of this trial show that it significantly reduced symptoms of anxiety in trial participants, as compared to the control group after 6 weeks. By week 10, 71% of Daylight users in the study achieved remission of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), as compared to 33% of those in the control group. Read more about the science behind Daylight here.
How often should someone use Daylight?
We recommend using Daylight daily. Individuals tend to see the most benefit from utilizing cognitive behavioral techniques when they are practiced regularly, and in daily life situations. Accordingly, Daylight promotes daily use of the app.
How long should someone use Daylight?
It is up to you how long you use Daylight. Daylight users will receive weekly feedback on their progress. When they have achieved their desired goals, they can keep using the app, either as a way to practice techniques daily, or as a way to check in on their worry and anxiety weekly. In our research, we have seen that users who use Daylight frequently (approximately daily) can start to notice benefits in as little as 3-4 weeks, and that using the app frequently for up to 6 weeks may result in more benefit.
How are techniques presented within Daylight?
Techniques in Daylight are presented as “cards.” Each card provides instructions for a technique and guides the user through an exercise (10-15 minutes). Once a user has completed a card, they can repeat it as often as they like, or complete shorter (~5 minutes) practice versions.
How is Daylight tailored for specific individuals?
Daylight provides different feedback for individuals based on their input (e.g., how they are feeling, their experience during a particular technique practice, etc.). Feedback is customized to help individuals tailor their practice of specific techniques (e.g., “Looks like Tense & Release was really helpful for you! Keep practicing this one!”). Users also receive weekly feedback and guidance based on their progress (e.g., their scores on brief measures of worry and anxiety, mood, and sleep).
How is progress monitored in Daylight?
At the onset of Daylight, users provide information about their worry and anxiety (GAD-2), mood (PHQ-2), sleep (SCI), and goals. They are asked to report on these weekly during “check-ins.” They are provided with information and guidance regarding their progress.
Do users need to keep using Daylight forever to maintain improvements?
No. Proven cognitive and behavioral techniques are designed to be practiced enough that they become habits - ways that people automatically respond to worry and anxiety. Similarly, users of Daylight should notice that as they keep practicing, they are able to work the techniques into their daily lives as necessary. They can choose to keep using Daylight as a way to monitor worry and anxiety levels or continue practicing less frequently, if desired. We see from our research that users may continue to benefit from Daylight even after they stop using the app (with our randomized controlled trial demonstrating that the benefits of Daylight were maintained up to a month after users stopped using the program).
How were the techniques in Daylight chosen?
The selected techniques are supported by a strong evidence base and were endorsed by clinical experts.
Is there anyone for whom Daylight would not be safe to use?
Please see information regarding suitability by visiting trydaylight.com/suitable.
How will users know if Daylight is appropriate for their concerns?
Users are provided with information on the suitability page at trydaylight.com (see above), which is presented to them upon enrollment for the program. They also receive a safety email after signing up for Daylight that describes who Daylight is most suitable for.
What happens if a user's worry and anxiety or other mental health concerns worsen as they are using Daylight?
Users are informed from the onset of the program (both in the program, and in a safety email that they receive upon enrollment) that Daylight is a web-based and mobile digital application that provides users with self-help tools to address worry and anxiety, and that they should contact their doctor for medical advice in the event that they feel worse. This is reiterated each time they report feeling worse from week to week.
Who is Daylight suitable for?
Daylight is a digital therapeutic intended for the improvement of worry and anxiety and the management of GAD in adults aged 18 years and older, as an adjunct to their usual medical care.
For adults diagnosed with GAD, Daylight should be used under the supervision of a healthcare professional.
For otherwise healthy adults who have difficulty with worry and anxiety, Daylight may be used as a non-prescription self-help tool to improve overall mental health and wellbeing.
Daylight may be suitable for you if:
- You are experiencing difficulties with worry and anxiety or GAD symptoms
- You are able to read, hear, and understand English
- You have been diagnosed with GAD and are under the care of a doctor
- You have stable physical and mental health
- You have regular access to a computer or mobile device with periodic access to the internet
Always seek help from your doctor if you are at all unsure about starting the course, or if you have a pre-existing medical condition or medication.
Can I take antidepressant medication while following the program?
Daylight is not a replacement for other medical or mental health care and should not be solely or primarily relied upon to treat psychiatric conditions. Do not disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking care because of information you encounter within Daylight. We do not advise making any changes to your current mental health treatment (e.g., changes to therapy or medication) before or while using Daylight without the consultation of your doctor. If you are currently taking antidepressant medication for mood or anxiety disorders, there is no need to make any changes prior to using Daylight. Always seek advice from your doctor before making any changes to your current treatments. We strongly recommend that you consult a doctor if at any time you are concerned about your physical or mental health.
Daylight is available as an adjunct to usual medical care for generalized anxiety disorder for adults ages 18 and older, without FDA review under their COVID-19 policy. Users are directed to not make any changes to their prescribed medication or other type of medical treatment without seeking professional medical advice.