Promising New Treatments for SAD

The February 2006 edition of the American Psychological Association’s Monitor discusses treatments for Seasonal Affective Disorder. Tori DeAngelis writes, “Many studies have verified and refined the notion that light can be a potent healer for SAD sufferers, who without treatment become sluggish, sleep more, gain weight and become depressed in late fall and winter until they regain their groove in the spring.” The author continues noting that this success has stimulated additional research. “Several new avenues–some from biologically oriented labs and others from psychological ones–show particular promise. These include negative air-ion therapy, where people passively receive charged particles from an electronic device; cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) tailored to seasonal issues; and combinations of those and other treatments.”
Promising New Treatments for SAD | Light Therapy: A Bright Idea