Bright Light Therapy Can Help Treat Non-Seasonal Depression as Well as SAD, New Study Says

Bright light therapy, commonly used to treat seasonal affective disorder (SAD)—a form of seasonal depression—can also be helpful for non-seasonal depression, according to a meta-analysis published yesterday in JAMA Psychiatry. Researchers also found that bright light therapy may help people respond more quickly to depression treatment overall.
“Major depressive disorder is currently the leading cause of functional disability and one of the most critical mental health issues,” say the study authors, a group of doctors and medical students in Brazil and Argentina. But they also note that the response rate to initial treatment for the condition (or how many people see a difference in symptoms after the first depression treatment they try) is less than 50 percent2, which suggests that alternatives or add-on treatments like bright light therapy are necessary.