Light therapy better than Prozac in SAD

New clinical data, published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, demonstrates that light therapy is more effective than Eli Lilly's antidepressant drug Prozac (fluoxetine) in the treatment of Seasonal Affective Disorder.

Compared to fluoxetine, the external application of bright white light, which is a drug-free and non-addictive form of therapy, was shown to have a more rapid onset of improvement and a lack of side effects.

The data were welcomed by USA-based LiteBook, a maker of portable LED light display devices intended to treat the condition. The firm noted that, while only 3%-5% of people suffer from SAD, the incidence of this form of "winter blues" is as high as 40%. According to the firm, their Litebook device, which was not used in the study, is totally portable and produces intensely bright UV-free light at the specific wavelengths necessary to achieve rapid suppression of melatonin. Typical usage time is just 15-30 minutes, and the firm added that the Litebook also offers an effective drug-free treatment for shift workers, teenagers, over 50s and anyone living "out of kilter with their body clock."