19 Nov Bright Light as a Treatment for Major Depression

During the winter months when the days are shorter and cloudier, depression rates increase otherwise known as Seasonal depression.  Bright light therapy has been shown to be helpful for these individuals, but the question is whether or not bright light helps people with Nonseasonal Major Depression.  A recent 8 week study done with 122 people randomized the participants to one of 4 groups: 1.  exposure to 10,000 lux florescent white light box for 30 minutes a day in the morning,  2.  combination light box and Fluoxetine (Prozac), 3.  Fluoxetine (Prozac) alone, 4.  Placebo or sham treatment.  Their depression scores were tallied at the end.  The group that had the best score was the combination group of light and Prozac.  The second best group was the group that received light therapy alone.  Both of these groups did better than the Fluoxetine group or the Placebo group.

(David W. Ball, MD, an Internal Medicine physician,  founder of NuVitality Health – a wellness education company, and co-founder of Life Changing Fitness  – a fitness facility for Every Body)