Light therapy has long been used to help lift the moods of people suffering from seasonal affective disorder (SAD), which strikes during the winter months when daylight hours are fewer.

A study published in JAMA Psychiatry indicates that this inexpensive and easy-to-use intervention also can benefit depressions not related to changing seasons.

Dr. Raymond Lam and his colleagues at the University of British Columbia exposed 100 depressed patients to either 30 minutes of daily bright light therapy or a placebo treatment for eight weeks.

Exposure to the fluorescent light box was safe and effective for treating patients with nonseasonal major depressive disorders.

Patients who took an antidepressant along with light therapy had the best outcomes, with 60 percent reporting feeling back to normal.