Whole-body Hyperthermia for Moderate to Severe Depressive Disorder

Whole-body hyperthermia will be applied two times during 4 weeks (week 0 and 2 after randomization) in addition to standard medical care. The hyperthermia will be applied using Heckel-HT3000 MPIIb. During the 6 weeks of primary observation, the current medication should be maintained. The dose may be optimized with respect to clinical effectiveness and the reduction of side effects. The type of medication should not be changed during the 6 weeks. The use of additional somatic therapies such as sleep deprivation, light therapy, electroconvulsive therapy, or transcranial magnetic stimulation is not allowed.

Standard medical care included guideline-based anti-depressive drug treatment in combination with psychotherapy. During the 6 weeks of primary observation, the current medication should be maintained. The dose may be optimized with respect to clinical effectiveness and the reduction of side effects. The type of medication should not be changed during the 6 weeks. The use of additional somatic therapies such as sleep deprivation, light therapy, electroconvulsive therapy, or transcranial magnetic stimulation is not allowed.