London - Exposing people suffering from depression to bright light shortly after they wake up improves their well-being, a study has found.
It showed that 30 minutes of exposure to a fluorescent light every day for eight weeks even helped those whose depression was not brought on by seasonal affective disorder, which can make the illness worse in winter.
The study, which followed 122 patients, found light therapy provided the most benefit to those who were also taking antidepressants.
Professor Raymond Lam, of the University of British Columbia in Canada, said: “These results are very exciting because light therapy is inexpensive, easy to access and use, and comes with few side effects.
“Patients can easily use light therapy along with other treatments such as antidepressants and psychotherapy.”
The research was published in the journal Psychiatry.
Daily Mail