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Why it's done
By Mayo Clinic staffYou may want to try light therapy for a number of reasons:
- It's a proven seasonal affective disorder treatment.
- You have another condition, such as nonseasonal depression or insomnia, and your doctor recommends it.
- You want to try treatment that is safe and has few side effects.
- You want to increase the effectiveness of antidepressant medication or mental health counseling (psychotherapy).
- You need to avoid antidepressant medications during pregnancy or while breast-feeding.
- It may allow you to take a lower dose of antidepressant medication.
Light therapy for conditions other than SAD
In addition to seasonal affective disorder, light therapy is used as a treatment for other conditions, including:
- Types of depression that don't occur seasonally
- Jet lag
- Sleep disorders
- Adjusting to a nighttime work schedule
- Dementia
Light therapy is also used to treat skin conditions such as psoriasis. However, this is different from the type of light therapy used for SAD and the other conditions above. Light therapy for skin disorders uses a lamp that emits ultraviolet (UV) light. This type of light is filtered out in light therapy boxes because it can damage the eyes and skin.
References
- Gabbard GO, et al. Gabbard's Treatments of Psychiatric Disorders. 4th ed. Arlington, Va.: American Psychiatric Publishing; 2007. http://psychiatryonline.org/content.aspx?bookid=4§ionid=1337596. Accessed Feb. 19, 2013.
- Shirani A, et al. Illuminating rationale and uses for light therapy. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. 2009;5:155.
- Howland RH. Somatic therapies for seasonal affective disorder. Journal of Psychological Nursing. 2009;47:17.
- Sivamani RK, et al. The benefits and risks of ultraviolet tanning and its alternatives: The role of prudent sun exposure. Dermatologic Clinics. 2009;27:129.
- Reeves GM, et al. Improvement in depression scores after 1 hour of light therapy treatment in patients with seasonal affective disorder. The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease. 2012;200:51.
- Rastad C, et al. Improvement in fatigue, sleepiness, and health-related quality of life with bright light treatment in persons with seasonal affective disorder and subsyndromal SAD. Depression Research and Treatment. http://www.hindawi.com/journals/drt/2011/543906/. Accessed Feb. 19, 2013.
- Roecklein KA, et al. Cognitive and behavioral predictors of light therapy use. PLOSone. 2012;7:e39275. http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0039275. Accessed Feb. 19, 2013.
- Privitera MR, et al. Light therapy for seasonal affective disorder in a clinical office setting. Journal of Psychiatric Practice. 2010;16:387.
- Menter A, et al. Guidelines of care of the management of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. 2010;62:114.
- Hall-Flavin DK (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Feb. 26, 2013.
- Auger RR (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Feb. 25, 2013.
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