Infrared Sauna Research Advances: UCSF Clinical Trial Publishes Data Showing Feasibility and Promising Symptom Reduction in Depression Treatment

25 of 29 Participants No Longer Met Criteria for Depression after Combined Whole Body Heat Treatment Using The Clearlight® Curve® Far Infrared Sauna Dome and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Protocol

Berkeley, California, Oct. 23, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In conjunction with October as National Depression Awareness Month, a new UCSF randomized trial underscores the potential of infrared heat therapy in depression treatment. The findings from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) reveal that whole-body heating (WBH) combined with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) was well-received by patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), and 86.2% of patients no longer met criteria for MDD at their final assessment.

The study, led by Ashley E. Mason, PhD, a clinical psychologist at the UCSF Osher Center for Integrative Health and the UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, tested an integrated mind-body treatment combining WBH, a type of whole-body heat treatment using infrared heating, and CBT as a treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD). The study, which builds on earlier trials led by Dr. Mason (2024 news here) and provides both infrared heat treatments and psychotherapy sessions for the treatment of MDD, was published on October 22, 2025, in Global Advances in Integrative Medicine and Health (https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/27536130251387714). The study used the The Clearlight Curve Far Infrared Sauna Dome, manufactured by Clearlight, the industry leader in infrared sauna and pioneer in innovative health and wellness solutions.

In brief, the trial enrolled 30 adults with MDD. Each patient received eight weekly sessions of cognitive behavior therapy conducted by Zoom (virtual), and biweekly whole-body heating sessions, conducted in a Curve Dome. Of 30 patients, 29 (96.7%) completed the trial, and more than 75% said they would recommend participation to a friend or family member with depression.

Dr. Mason began the clinical trial after being inspired by prior work showing that infrared heat treatment caused rapid reductions in depression. Preliminary results from prior studies and Dr. Mason’s most recent study suggests that infrared heat treatment may help significantly reduce depression symptoms.

“That 25 of 29 participants (86.2 %) saw meaningful reductions in depression symptoms, regardless of infrared heating level, tells us that we have more work to do, but sends a positive and hopeful message,” said Dr. Mason. “It reinforces that we have much to learn about how heat therapy and traditional psychotherapy might work together.”

While Dr. Mason’s future clinical trial testing efficacy will take several years, early results from her feasibility studies are showing that whole-body heating may reduce depression symptoms. In a previous trial with people with depression, Mason also found that the whole-body heating sessions acutely improved mood, and found that these improvements predicted overall response to the treatment. She found similar results in an earlier trial with people who did not have depression; even in this group, the data showed significant improvements in mood and nearly statistically significant improvements in depression symptoms.

Dr. Mason’s studies published in 2021, 2024, and 2025 that showed improvements in mood all used The Curve Infrared Sauna Dome, a compact, portable infrared sauna wellness device manufactured by Clearlight. The Curve allows for precise, consistent heat exposure in a controlled research environment which is a critical component for the research.

“This study on depression builds on Dr. Mason and her team’s incredible work and continues to validate what our customers have shared for decades. People have been telling us how using our infrared saunas has changed their lives by reducing stress and lifting their spirits. We’re honored to see our technology used in this kind of rigorous, meaningful research that may help reimagine how we approach mental health care,” said Dr. Raleigh Duncan, Clearlight Founder. Dr. Duncan is widely recognized for his expertise in infrared therapy as one of the most significant contributors to technologies for healing the human body and as a leader in advancing the industry for more than 28 years.

About Clearlight®:
Founded by a Chiropractic Physician, Dr. Raleigh Duncan, Clearlight is the industry leader in infrared sauna technology and a pioneer in innovative health and wellness solutions for more than 28 years. Clearlight was the first company to develop Carbon/Ceramic infrared heaters capable of delivering a deeper, more penetrating infrared wavelength, while also offering the lowest EMF (electromagnetic fields) and EF (extremely low frequency) available on the market. Dr. Duncan is widely considered one of the early pioneers in infrared sauna technologies and has patents/patents-pending for much of the technology Clearlight uses. The company offers best-in-class wellness products for home and business use including: Infrared Saunas, Sanctuary Full Spectrum Saunas, Outdoor Infrared Saunas, Premier Infrared Saunas, award-winning and FDA approved Red Light Therapy—The PERSONAL Tower, The CORE Tower, and The FULL BODY Tower; award-winning HALO ONE Salt Therapy, AROMA ONE Aromatherapy Diffuser, The Curve® Sauna Dome, Amethyst Infrared PEMF Mat, and Custom Sauna Heater Kits (Build Your Own Sauna).
Clearlight is headquartered in Berkeley, California, USA, with distribution in North America (U.S. and Canada), Australia, China, Europe, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Middle East, South America, and the United Kingdom. For every sauna purchase, Clearlight plants two trees with The National Forest Foundation’s Sapling Program—helping to plant more than 22,568 trees to date (numbers as of June 30, 2025). To learn more and/or enhance your existing Clearlight sauna experience, visit infraredsauna.com and ClearlightRed.com and follow on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, and YouTube.

Study Author details:
Ashley E. Mason, PhD
Faculty | Osher Center for Integrative Health
Associate Professor in Residence | Weill Institute for Neurosciences
University of California, San Francisco
sealab.ucsf.edu
The study was published in Global Advances in Integrative Medicine and Health, https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/27536130251387714

Attachments

Dana Young
Clearlight® — Infrared Saunas and Wellness Solutions
4153787998
media@infraredsauna.com

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