But experts are now saying that a drug-free solution to depression could be as easy as flipping a switch.
A recent study that found that patients treated with bright light therapy (BLT) reported a 40% remission rate of non-seasonal depression proves this point.
Published in JAMA Psychiatry, the study featured data from 858 participants who were diagnosed with depressive disorders.
Since 2005, the American Psychiatric Association has recommended BLT as a treatment option for patients with major depressive disorder.
According to Forbes, when humans are exposed to bright lights, that light enters the retina, activating neurons known as retinal ganglion cells.
A glimmer of hope in the otherwise bleak world of depression?
In the United States, almost one in five adults has been diagnosed with depression, according to a report released last year by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Antidepressants are often prescribed by doctors, but they have a long list of potential side effects, such as concerning skin conditions and “emotional blunting,” in which the drugs dull all emotions, including happiness.
However, experts now suggest that treating depression without the use of drugs may be as simple as turning on a switch.
The effects of light exposure on human mood and cognitive function are well known. This point is supported by a recent study that discovered that patients receiving bright light therapy (BLT) reported a 40% remission rate of non-seasonal depression.
Supported by a National Institutes of Health study that showed that patients with seasonal affective disorder who received bright light therapy for four weeks experienced a remission of symptoms, researchers wanted to know if the same therapy could help people with non-seasonal depressive disorder.
The study, which was published in JAMA Psychiatry, included information from 858 individuals with a diagnosis of a depressive disorder.
These patients were told to spend at least half an hour each day sitting in front of a fluorescent light box that emitted bright white light with an intensity of 10,000 lux.
When compared to the control groups that received only antidepressant treatment, the BLT-treated patients had a significantly higher remission rate (40 percent), according to the research team.
According to the team, “these results indicate that bright light therapy was a successful supplemental treatment for non-seasonal depressive disorders, and the addition of bright light therapy may improve the response time to the initial treatment.”. “.”.
BLT may be a viable, affordable alternative to antidepressants or a supplement to them, according to researchers, providing a glimmer of hope for people suffering from severe depression.
Bright light therapy is a useful adjunctive treatment for non-seasonal depressive disorders, they wrote, “despite the fact that outpatient treatment costs with antidepressants are widely variable, exposure to external light generally involves no costs or limitations.”.
The American Psychiatric Association has advocated BLT as a major depressive disorder treatment option since 2005.
What effects does light exposure have on mood and thinking?
Forbes claims that bright light enters the human eye and activates neurons called retinal ganglion cells.
Mood regulation is directly controlled by these neurons, which also carry information from the retina to the brain.
