Light Therapy Lamps

Light therapy lamps are bright light boxes — standardised in research at about 10,000 lux — used for around 30 minutes in the morning, most studied for seasonal affective disorder (SAD).

What published research reports

The meta-analysis of randomised trials in the American Journal of Psychiatry (2005) reported that bright light treatment significantly reduced depressive symptoms in seasonal affective disorder, with effect sizes comparable to many antidepressant trials, and that benefits also appeared in non-seasonal depression. The National Institute of Mental Health describes light therapy — daily morning use of a 10,000-lux light box from autumn to spring — as an established SAD treatment. Trials position the lamp at a set distance with eyes open but not staring at the light; people with bipolar disorder or eye disease are advised in the clinical literature to seek medical guidance first.

References

• Golden RN, et al. The efficacy of light therapy in the treatment of mood disorders: a review and meta-analysis of the evidence. Am J Psychiatry. 2005;162(4):656–662. PubMed
• National Institute of Mental Health. Seasonal Affective Disorder. nimh.nih.gov