I was out with a friend, and he mentioned his mother’s depression. Since we are now deep into the autumn here in the U.K., I asked if there were any seasonal component to her depression. There was.
Like a lot of people, his mother’s mood takes a distinct turn for the worse in the winter. I suggested that he might consider a light-therapy device to supplement the insufficient light his mother will be getting in the autumn and winter.
By coincidence, I had just seen my own light box on top of a filing cabinet in my office at home and was wondering whether the time was right to pull it out and start using it this year.
The device I have is a compact little number that I bought last winter. It gives off blue light. I feel it really helped maintain my mood and energy during the darker months.
Unusually for me, I didn’t do any research at all before buying it. I bought it on the recommendation of a patient of mine. I had recommended light therapy to her, and she had then done some research of her own. Being a thoughtful soul, she returned to my clinic some time later and presented the results of her research.
I remember her making the point that her research had revealed that light in the blue part of the light spectrum appeared to be most effective in dealing with light-related mood issues. I trusted this lady enough not to need to go and double-check this before purchasing the device she recommended.
I thought I’d do a bit of retrospective research regarding light therapy. Is blue light really best for treating seasonal affective disorder (SAD)? I came across a study published earlier this year in the journal Depression and Anxiety in which individuals with SAD were treated with blue light (of about 470 nanometers) or red light daily for a period of three weeks [1].
Of those treated with blue light, 60 percent responded favorably to treatment, compared to only 13 percent of the red-light-treated group.
In the blue-light-treated group, overall ratings of depression dropped by 51 percent, compared to a 32 percent improvement in those treated with red light.
The individuals in the study group were made up of those with SAD as well as those with SAD in conjunction with symptoms of depression at other times in the year. Not surprisingly, those with only SAD responded better than those with more perennial depression.
In another study I found, this one from 2006, blue light also outperformed red light in the treatment of SAD [2].
There does indeed seem to be evidence that light from the blue part of the light spectrum is generally more effective for treating SAD. This might be worth bearing in mind if you’re contemplating purchasing a light-therapy device or considering replacing an existing one.
References:
1. Strong RE, et al. Narrow-band blue-light treatment of seasonal affective disorder in adults and the influence of additional nonseasonal symptoms. Depression and Anxiety 2009; 26(3): 273–278
2. Glickman G, et al. Light therapy for seasonal affective disorder with blue narrow-band light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Biological Psychiatry 2006; 59(6): 502–507
Dr. John Briffa is a London-based physician and health writer with an interest in nutrition and natural medicine. His Web site is Drbriffa.com
