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Prevention of winter seasonal affective disorder by bright-light treatment

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

Timo Partonen  and
Jouko Lönnqvist
Timo Partonen*
Affiliation:
Department of Mental Health, National Public Health Institute and the Department of Psychiatry, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
Jouko Lönnqvist
Affiliation:
Department of Mental Health, National Public Health Institute and the Department of Psychiatry, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
*
1Address for correspondence: Dr Timo Partonen Department of Mental HealthNational Public Health InstituteMannerheimintie 160. FIN-00300 HelsinkiFinland.
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Synopsis

In patients with winter seasonal affective disorder (SAD) the onset of a depressive episode is probably associated with the decreasing amount of light during the autumn. A highly predictable onset of a recurrent depressive episode with seasonal pattern provides a rationale for testing the efficacy of bright-light treatment as a preventive measure. Twelve out-patients with winter SAD were assigned to start bright light treatment either when they were well, or not to start it until the first symptoms of depression had already emerged. The severity of depressive symptoms was prospectively rated for a parallel randomized comparison. Bright light given well in advance of the emerging symptoms prevented a depressive episode. Clinical remission was significantly more frequent in the former subgroup of the patients in January and in March. To sum up, bright light can be successfully administered as prophylactic treatment for the prevention of winter SAD.

Type
Original Articles
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 26 , Issue 5 , September 1996 , pp. 1075 - 1080
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1996

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