Light therapy to treat winter depression in adolescents in Iceland.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether light therapy during winter is beneficial to adolescents with symptoms of seasonal affective disorder (SAD).


METHODS
The 3 largest colleges in Reykjavik, Iceland.


METHODS
Eighteen college students, 18 and 19 years old, suffering from symptoms of SAD.


METHODS
School attendance and self-reported change in indicators (concentration, ability to awaken in the morning, and frequency of breakfast).


RESULTS
Light therapy helped some of the students concentrate and wake up in the morning, usually only to a mild degree, but did not improve school attendance.


CONCLUSIONS
The lack of effect of light therapy on school attendance in a group of students with symptoms of SAD indicates that school attendance is influenced by several complex factors, of which seasonal disorders are not a major determinant, even in those most at risk.
Magnusson
A
A
National Centre for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Ullevål Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007055:Iceland; D008297:Male; D010789:Phototherapy; D016574:Seasonal Affective Disorder / Q000628:therapy*