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Gabrielle J. Melin, M.D.
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Depression blog
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Dec. 9, 2009
Is light therapy a good depression treatment option?
By Gabrielle J. Melin, M.D.
We've known for awhile that some people will have a worsening of their mood in the winter.
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A specific type of light, a full-spectrum light, is sometimes used to treat SAD. Insurance may or may not pay for the light. Not all people with depression have a seasonal worsening of mood.
Some things to keep in mind about SAD and light therapy:
- The benefits of light therapy have clearly been shown in multiple studies over many years
- Most people with a diagnosis of SAD show improvement in depressive symptoms one week after starting light therapy
- Light therapy typically causes few side effects
- Light therapy requires 15 to 30 minutes per day
- Use of light therapy in patients with bipolar affective disorder may destabilize the mood
Currently, researchers are looking at using light therapy to treat major depressive disorder as well as other psychiatric illnesses. Time will tell if light therapy can be used alone to treat depression or other psychiatric illnesses. As always, don't self-diagnose or self- treat; talk to your provider about your symptoms.
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