Kripke D F
Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla 92093-0667, USA.
J Affect Disord. 1998 May;49(2):109-17. doi: 10.1016/s0165-0327(98)00005-6.
Using bright light for treating major depressive disorders which are not seasonal needs reassessment.
Clinical trials of light treatment for nonseasonal major depressive disorders were compared with selected trials of light treatment of winter depression and with antidepressant clinical drug trials.
Light treatment of nonseasonal depression produces net benefits in the range of 12-35%, often within 1 week.
Light's value for nonseasonal and seasonal depression are comparable. Light appears to produce faster antidepressant benefits than psychopharmacologic treatment.
Direct randomizing comparisons between light and medications for nonseasonal depression are not available.
Bright light can be combined with standard therapies for treating nonseasonal depressions and appears synergistic.
