Light Therapy

Light therapy or photo therapy has been recommended for seasonal affective disorder. This is based on the assumption that decreased exposure to full spectrum light may be responsible for chemical changes that trigger depression in some people. The treatment requires the person to sit under a full spectrum light for several hours per day, throughout the winter months. As an alternative, individuals are encouraged to take walks outdoors whenever possible (depending on weather conditions). More recently, some studies have suggested that the full spectrum is not necessary, but that it does require exposure to bright light conditions for several hours per day.

In addition to the light therapy, other more traditional treatment of depression is also recommended, including both psychotherapy and antidepressant medication. Some people have found that a short winter vacation to a warmer climate helps as well. The other treatment methods are described elsewhere on this site.

A Vacation

Of course, most of us feel better after a vacation. And, taking a daily walk in the winter would certainly help reverse the impact of isolation or "cabin fever" many people experience in the winter. Even the recommendation to spend several hours per day under the lights, also recommends that the person do something productive while receiving exposure, such as reading. It is not possible to evaluate independently the effects of these other factors. On the other hand, light therapy is not expensive, and does not appear to be intrusive or potentially harmful. If the combination of traditional treatment and light therapy appears to be more helpful to some individuals, we might not need to wait for researchers to confirm the existence of seasonal factors in some depression. We can recommend the treatment while we wait for the results of the research.

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Reviewed: 01/2006