Tanning Therapy for Seasonal Affective Disorder

According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, seasonal affective disorder (SAD) affects 15 million Americans each year. Understanding the type of light therapy, length of duration and how light therapy is used in the treatment of SAD will provide valuable information when seeking light therapy treatment.

Significance

Seasonal affective disorder results when the production of chemicals in the brain is inhibited due to the lack of sunlight exposure. This can result in increased levels of melatonin and decreased levels of serotonin in the brain, resulting in seasonal depression.

Function

Light therapy is used to regulate melatonin and serotonin levels. For mild SAD symptoms, increasing time spent outdoors may help regulate hormone levels. For more severe symptoms, daily light therapy may be implemented.

Time Frame

For milder symptoms of SAD, increasing time spent outdoors may be enough. For more persistent symptoms of SAD, 45 minutes per day with a maximum of 90 minutes per day of light therapy has been reported to regulate melatonin and serotonin levels. Improvement with depression is generally reported within two to three weeks.

Considerations

If improvement is not noticed with depression attributed to SAD, light therapy alone may not be enough. Antidepressants may also be prescribed to aid with neurotransmitter balance.

Warning

When implementing light therapy for SAD, it is important to only use lights that filter out ultraviolet (UV) rays. Tanning beds are not recommended for the treatment of SAD. They do not filter out UV rays, which can be harmful to the eyes and can cause melanoma.

References

• The Skin Cancer Foundation
• American Academy of Family Physicians

Resources

• Rachel Sussman, LCSW