Bright light therapy accelerates treatment response in nonseasonal depression

Bright light therapy works by exposing individuals to controlled amounts of intense artificial light, helping regulate the body’s internal clock and improve mood.

A typical session involves sitting in front of a light box emitting 10,000 lux of white light for 30 to 60 minutes each morning .

This approach mimics the effects of natural sunlight, helping to stabilize mood.

In studies with shorter follow-up periods, remission rates were 27.4% in the bright light therapy group, compared to 9.2% in controls.

This early response was sustained and amplified in studies with longer follow-ups.

Future trials could explore its benefits for specific subtypes of depression, such as bipolar versus unipolar depression, and include larger and more diverse samples.