A recent systematic review from Yangtze University Medical School (Chen, et al., 2024) compared the effectiveness of common treatments for Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). SAD is a seasonal mood disorder, often referred to as the ‘winter blahs”, caused by the lack of exposure to sunlight.
The systematic review focused on randomized controlled trails the utilized phototherapy, antidepressants, cognitive-behavioural therapy, and negative ion generators. Photo or bright light therapy was more effective than the other interventions or control therapies at alleviating depressive symptoms.
You can find out more at:
- Chen ZW, Zhang XF, Tu ZM. Treatment measures for seasonal affective disorder: A network meta-analysis. Journal of affective disorders. 2024;350:531-536. https://doi-org.proxy.lib.uwaterloo.ca/10.1016/j.jad.2024.01.028
Employees and students in the Faculty of Engineering can sign out light therapy (Sunshine) lamps for free on a 3-day loan from the Engineering Undergraduate Office.
