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Depression - Light Therapy for Children
I am wondering if anyone has information re. using light therapy with children. I know it has been done but am looking for specifics, e.g. what is a safe strength of light and how many minutes for a child.
My daughter is ten and has had counseling and medication for severe depression last winter. Her depression got much better in the spring and summer. It seems to get worse in the fall when the days get shorter. And we live in an area with long winter with little sun.
My daughter is ten and has had counseling and medication for severe depression last winter. Her depression got much better in the spring and summer. It seems to get worse in the fall when the days get shorter. And we live in an area with long winter with little sun.
COMMUNITY LEADER
Still waiting for a reply, but the following from Medscape is consistent with other sources I have read:
Bright-light therapy (BLT) for seasonal affective disorder is used at an intensity of 10,000 lux for 30-90 minutes daily, usually within 1 hour of arising in the morning. Like any effective antidepressant, BLT has the potential to precipitate a hypomanic or manic episode in susceptible individuals. Other common adverse effects include eye irritation, restlessness, and transient headaches. These lamps are not a significant source of ultraviolet (UV) light. Conventional antidepressants, with or without BLT, also can be used to treat seasonal affective disorder.
In addition to its established role in seasonal affective disorder, BLT may be effective in nonseasonal depression or as an augmenting agent with antidepressant medication. Studies have demonstrated benefit of BLT for treatment of nonseasonal depression in pregnant patients and elderly patients.
Bright-light therapy (BLT) for seasonal affective disorder is used at an intensity of 10,000 lux for 30-90 minutes daily, usually within 1 hour of arising in the morning. Like any effective antidepressant, BLT has the potential to precipitate a hypomanic or manic episode in susceptible individuals. Other common adverse effects include eye irritation, restlessness, and transient headaches. These lamps are not a significant source of ultraviolet (UV) light. Conventional antidepressants, with or without BLT, also can be used to treat seasonal affective disorder.
In addition to its established role in seasonal affective disorder, BLT may be effective in nonseasonal depression or as an augmenting agent with antidepressant medication. Studies have demonstrated benefit of BLT for treatment of nonseasonal depression in pregnant patients and elderly patients.
COMMUNITY LEADER
I'll let you know as soon as they get back to me. Pretty nasty weather up there right now.
COMMUNITY LEADER
You may be overthinking this. I have some good friends who live up by the Canadian border who simply replaced a lot of the lights in their house with lights that emitted the correct wave length.
I'll email them and see what they bought and where they placed the lights. I am pretty sure that most went in the kitchen since it was overhead light.
I'll email them and see what they bought and where they placed the lights. I am pretty sure that most went in the kitchen since it was overhead light.
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