Bright white light therapy is a treatment for a type of depression known as seasonal affective disorder (SAD), but according to a recent study, it can also benefit non-seasonal depression.
Combining light with antidepressants has worked very well in the treatment of non-seasonal depressions, a disease that is currently treated with psychotherapy and antidepressant medications, despite which, recurrent episodes are very common.
For the research, a group of people with non-seasonal depression were invited to combine Prozac with a 30-minute daily exposure to a bright white light source. 60 percent of the patients saw their symptoms subside.
Until now it was thought that bright light therapy relieved SAD by repairing disturbances in the body's internal clock caused by the increased darkness that occurs in the fall-winter, but this new study suggests that it also benefits brain neurotransmitters, like serotonin, which affects mood.
However, this new method of treating depression still presents quite a few unknowns, such as how long the combination treatment of bright light plus Prozac should last. On the other hand, the conclusion of the study also leaves open the possibility that the bright white light treatment works on its own without the need for antidepressants, which, if confirmed, would be a great news for people with depression, as it would allow them to do without drugs or at least reduce their intake.