Light Therapies For Mood Disorders

Recent studies have found that light therapy effectively overcome mood disorders. American Psychiatric Association has initiated this study and led by a psychiatrist at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine. Even light therapy not only effectively overcome mood disorders, is also effective for seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and other mood disorders.

In the research report, found data are supports the effectiveness of light therapy. But not based on a strict study design. So sparked controversy among scientists, whether light therapy is effective for seasonal affective disorders or other forms of mood disorders. but if done studies 'with meta-analysis' designed with a good design, it will be found that light therapy is an effective treatment for mood disorders, including seasonal affective disorders and other mood disorders such as depressive disorders.

The use of artificial light as light therapy for the people with mood disorder, seasonal affective disorders and depression over the growing Autumn Winter ON or cheap spontaneously disappears during spring-summer or, the first time described in, the Archives of General Psychiatry ON year 1984. Since then, treatment has been tested in a clinical research program for low-cost non-seasonal mood disorders, Alzheimer's disease, jet lag, insomnia, eating disorders, and other behavioral disorders.

Methods of light therapy to try to modify the increased intensity of sunlight that occurs during the summer when the sun rises on the previous day. "The logic that may put people with seasonal affective disorder into remission phase. But the working mechanism of light therapy is still unclear" Golden said.

Studies are included in the meta-analysis were grouped into four categories: bright light for seasonal affective disoorders, bright light for non-seasonal depression, dawn simulation for seasonal affective light disoorders and light as an adjunct therapy combined with conventional antidepressants for non-seasonal affective disoorders.

Studies are limited in the age group 18 to 65 years with a diagnosis that is based on the criteria of mood disorders. Found in the meta-analysis showed a significant treatment effect for the group of seasonal affective disoorders, dawn simulation for seasonal affective disoorders and bright light treatment for non-seasonal affective disoorders, the report said.

"The size of the effect of light therapy intervention in our meta-analysis was comparable to what has been described in clinical literature for conventional medications to treat depression," Golden said. "The findings are as strong or as striking."

Further research is needed to answer whether light therapy is safe for patients, especially for young children and the elderly, Golden said. This study has not examined the safety or side effects, as reported very less in control systems, or comparison, data on side effects or toxicity, the authors reported.

In addition, the responses of children, teenagers and parents when getting light therapy might differ. In each age group, the treatment for light therapy dosing might differ. Children and teenagers require a lower dose than older people. "And if among the elderly have eye problems like cataracts, might light therapy can worsen the problem,” Add Gold.

As for efficacy of light therapy for seasonal mood disorders and non-seasonal mood disorders, Golden ensures that this study responded that this treatment has a good effectiveness. Light therapy could become expectation to treat stress in childhood that potentially lead of development of mood disorders in adulthood.