New light therapy for burnout and depression

Light therapy for burnout and depression

03/02/2015

The amount of light that people in this country get is not particularly high because of the frequent stay in interiors. This can not only have a negative effect on the mind, but literally make you sick. Scientists are now exploring whether special light therapies can relieve the symptoms of burnout.

Lack of daylight, especially in winter
The amount of light absorbed is drastically reduced by permanent office work and the frequent stay in interiors. This not only has a negative effect on well-being, but can even make you sick. Especially in the winter months, when the days are short and gray, there is a lack of light. Many a person then falls into a winter depression or gets other health problems. It has been known for centuries that light has a positive effect on mood and well-being. Austrian scientists are now exploring whether light therapies can alleviate burnout symptoms.

Seasonal dependent depression
Under the influence of sunlight, the human body produces more endorphins and releases more of the mood-brightening messenger serotonin. On dark days, on the other hand, the hormone melatonin is increasingly formed, which has an effect on the sleep-wake cycle of the body and depresses the mood. „This can also be the trigger for an autumn-winter depression“, explains Elisabeth Weiss from the Institute of Psychology of the University of Graz, according to a report from the „ORF“. For the effectiveness of light therapy, there is now good data for this seasonally dependent depression (SAD). The scientists now suspect that an additional light exposure could also be helpful in burnout.

Burnout syndrome difficult to distinguish from depression
According to Weiss, the fatigue syndrome is difficult to distinguish from depression. It would therefore be obvious to rely on this form of therapy. It is said that the first results of a study with burnout patients are already available. According to experts, depression, difficulty concentrating, chronic fatigue and an emotional distance from work were among the first signs of burnout syndrome. Some patients also report that they have a lot of inner agitation, bouts of heartbeat, or problems with digestion.

Three-week light therapy
The researchers at the University of Graz are now investigating the effectiveness of a three-week light therapy. It uses lamps with an illuminance of 10,000 lux, which simulate the light of a cloudy day and thus allow conclusions on mood, cognition and symptoms of burnout sufferers. So far, the results have shown that the regular light sessions have a positive effect on mood and exhaustion: „There is evidence of changes at the neurotransmitter level“, so white. In addition to the treatment of mental illness, light is also used to treat skin diseases such as atopic dermatitis. (Ad)