title: Light treatment for nonseasonal depression: speed, efficacy, and combined treatment.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Using bright light for treating major depressive disorders which are not seasonal needs reassessment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical trials of light treatment for nonseasonal major depressive disorders were compared with selected trials of light treatment of winter depression and with antidepressant clinical drug trials.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Light treatment of nonseasonal depression produces net benefits in the range of 12-35%, often within 1 week.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Light's value for nonseasonal and seasonal depression are comparable. Light appears to produce faster antidepressant benefits than psychopharmacologic treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Direct randomizing comparisons between light and medications for nonseasonal depression are not available.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Bright light can be combined with standard therapies for treating nonseasonal depressions and appears synergistic.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla 92093-0667, USA. dkripke@ucsd.edu
authors.forename: D F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Kripke
mesh_terms: D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D010789:Phototherapy; D016574:Seasonal Affective Disorder / Q000628:therapy; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors